Mangy Pride walked onto the stage and the whole crowd whispered a collective “holy shit.” It’s not often you see a pregnant band member (I thought her water would break during the set) when you’re ready to get your face rocked. Fronted by Stephanie & Jules Pampena, a brother/sister duo, they got into it right away with their psychedelic blues rock. Jules definitely got everyone on their feet making an acoustic guitar sound gritty. Jules was rocking a poncho and looked like Stevie Ray Vaughn if SRV survived the Walking Dead apocalypse. They didn’t speak much or introduce their songs by name, but I will definitely give them another listen. Unfortunately, we weren’t treated to a live birth on stage.
Before The Damn Truth even strutted onto the stage you knew you were going to witness an event. The Truth’s popularity has skyrocketed from opening for The Cure, playing at Osheaga and having their hit Wanna Get With You featured in an Yves St. Laurent ad. The Corona Theatre can hold more than 900 people and every ticket was sold. The band got on stage and the crowd was amped.
They started off with “Too Late” and played songs mostly off their new album, Devilish Folk. The sound was incredible and Lee-la’s voice was spot on to the record. They played their radio hits, and guitarist Tom Shemerr was slaying solos while standing on monitors at the front of the stage. When Pierre started the bass line to the Truth’s first radio hit, Wanna Get With You the fans were jumping and singing along and the Corona was loud as the band walked off, only to come back for an encore as Lee-la and Tom closed the night with the song Montreal. It was a fitting end to a tour where the band survived a van explosion with no injuries. The band thanked their fans for helping with the GoFundMe to replace equipment, and throughout the night it was obvious they appreciated all the support and enthusiasm. As much as The Damn Truth loved the people of Montreal, they loved them right back Saturday night.
Review + Photos – Marlon Kuhnreich
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