Izzy Spears
God, what a marvellous opening set that was. Izzy Spears knew exactly how to set the mood for the rest of the night, dancing on every square inch of his stage, and gently guiding all attendees into a blissful trance with his voice. He encouraged everyone to move along to his music, to which not a single person argued. Just one look around the dimly lit dance floor and you’d instantly know that all the people there were loving his set.
Izzy Spears’ discography offers a wide range of genres, such as rock, electronic, a sprinkle of punk, and influences from hip hop. His music reminds me of Yves Tumor, which makes sense to me since Izzy Spears toured with them in 2023. Izzy Spears’ songs like “BAD NEWS” or “New Normal” are the kind to bring me to dance to myself while walking down the sidewalk, and having the chance to see him perform live was such a treat. An excellent start to Dorian Electra’s show, that’s for sure!
Uffie
Next up on the lineup was Uffie, another artist that easily fit right in with the vibe of the night. She had the crowd moving and singing along to her perfectly autotuned vocals, and even performed an unreleased demo, hinting at its soon release. I seemed to be one of the few people in the audience to not have heard of Uffie before, but I’m pretty satisfied with learning about her at a live show.
Her style is heavily electronic, which would fit perfectly in the Montreal rave scene. “Prickling Skin” from her latest record released in 2022 is by far my favorite track of hers, but I highly recommend listening to the rest of her album “Sunshine Factory,” it’ll give you a great audio aid for what her set was like opening for Dorian Electra.
Dorian Electra
Ever since Dorian Electra’s last Montreal show back in 2022, it’s just constantly been on my mind. That show was so much fun and so stimulating, it was impossible not to compare every electronic show to it after that. Amazingly though, Dorian Electra completely bested themselves with this tour. They served theatrics and drama so exquisitely that I’m not even sure if I could properly describe it.
They opened their set with “Symphony” off their newest album, “Fanfare.” With a sudden puff of smoke that shot up from the stage floor, Dorian Electra appeared before their audience, wearing a red and gold ceremonial jacket to match the theatrical-themed banners hung behind them. Two incredibly talented dancers accompanied them on stage, wearing red and gold outfits to match with Electra. The three of them had a firm grasp on everyone’s attention, I just couldn’t pry my eyes off the stage.
After just the first three songs of their set, I was greatly anticipating all that was planned for the night. I didn’t expect a giant Melpomene and Thalia-headed puppet to come out and pull at Dorian Electra’s strings during (you guessed it!) “Puppet.” My jaw was on the floor! Everything that happened on stage just had me mesmerized, but before I could even process what I had witnessed, the set switched back to 2019 with “Adam & Steve,” an iconic track from Electra’s first album, “Flamboyant.” I’ve always adored the countless biblical references Dorian uses in their songwriting, but of course, I would since I’m a queer person who grew up religious.
The theatrics incorporated into Dorian Electra’s set were just so insanely good. Everything you could possibly think of happened, from Electra’s dancers using brass trombones as rifles, shooting each other with each beat, to Dorian themself getting tied with rope and then beheaded with an axe, their severed head held in the air for all to see and scream at. I’m a firm believer in going to see artists perform live as many times as possible, and this show is exactly why I love to do so. You get the chance to see breathtaking performers like Dorian Electra just outdo themselves with every show.
The set just kept getting crazier with tracks like “Ram It Down” and “M’Lady,” their intensities driving everyone to thrash and jump along to each powerful note. The energy in the room was pretty intoxicating in the best way possible, everybody there was dancing with all they’ve got and eating up anything Dorian Electra and their dancers did on stage. Things slowed down for just a moment; Dorian sat down at a keyboard and did a solo performance of the classic “Career Boy,” followed by “Man To Man,” which went back to its original sound halfway through, picking the energy right back up.
After a few more songs from “Fanfare,” Dorian Electra stepped off the stage, but only to be called back by the deafening cheering from their adoring audience. They ended their set with “Sodom & Gomorrah” and “Freak Mode,” two of my favourites off “Fanfare.” Dorian Electra isn’t just an unbelievable songwriter. They’re a queer icon, and a breathtaking performer, I am just constantly amazed by what they do. You’ll certainly find me at their next show in Montreal, after this one there’s no way I’ll miss out on future performances put on by them.
Review – Jamie Siddall
Photos – Ema Riot
