Did you ever feel like you were crashing a private party, but the crowd was so eclectic and everyone was in such a great mood that no one noticed?
Last night at Verre Bouteille, Montreal music label Ensoul Records hosted a warm and cozy concert featuring two of their local artists. The vibe was intimate and easy as friends, lovers and strangers smiled and huddled together in the dark, cramped club. Musicians and fans of all ages joined together to appreciate and marvel at the magic of live music.
Hanorah got the show going with her usual warm and sweet energy. Speaking casually to the crowd like we were all her best friends. Opening with the sultry “Good Love,” she serenaded a random audience member who was standing close to the stage. Asking him for his name and then informing him that she recently went through a breakup and is now single (Niko, you lucky dog). Hanorah has that rare quality where she can appear sexy and funny at the same time. She is such a gifted artist, unafraid to be vulnerable and deeply honest. Oh yeah, and she can sing.
Most of the tracks were from her latest album Perennial, including the deeply emotional “Afterlife.” With her mom smiling proudly close by and the whole audience singing the chorus “I’ll never forget you,” it was a very special moment which did that intangible thing that music does.
My favourite was “Long Road,” which began with the band stomping their feet on the tiny, wooden stage. Which prompted the audience to begin stomping their feet as well. As we all provided percussion, Hanorah strummed her acoustic guitar and sang with her entire body.
She ended with the dramatic “ Slingshot,” reminding us of her incredible vocal range and stage presence. With Christian @christian.no.relation on backing vocals and tambourine and Annabelle @Annabellemiaouw on her groovy keys, the tight trio did a short and sweet set that left us all wanting more.
As we all yelled encore, Hanorah humbly asked EDDY if she could do another song. She called up a few friends from the audience and reminisced about her younger days when she would recklessly fall in love with unavailable musicians. And we all sang along to a really fun version of an unreleased song that everyone seemed to know. “I’m In Love With Your Man.” (This was my fourth time seeing Hanorah and I can honestly say that she just keeps getting better each time.)
- Good love
- If life Were A Movie
- Coffee
- Saturn
- Long road
- Afterlife
- Skeletons
- Solution
- Candle wax
- Slingshot
- Unreleased (I’m In Love With Your Man)
EDDY hit the stage in third gear and did not slow down. As soon as she held the mic, vocalist Abigail Galwey took over the room with her high energy and casual vibe. With a bottle of Moosehead lager in her hand and a fresh pixie cut, she urged us to approach the stage, as she did not want any space between the band and the audience.
With her funky bass player, Danny Trudeau, upfront next to her, their set seemed more like an impromptu jazz jam than a rehearsed show. The Montreal-based band got everyone on their feet with their bluesy/funk/trip-hop/punk/pop fusion. I love it when a band is hard to describe, except when I have to write about it. So just give them a listen.
I enjoyed the funky bass line in “ Sisyphus” and the slow, sultry “Can’t Shake This Feeling.”
Their first full-length studio album entitled “Fluid” was released in September 2022 on Ensoul Records .
True story; on my drive down to the venue, I was listening to Dominique Fils-Aimé in the car… And then, when I got there, she was sitting just a couple of feet away from me. I tried not to stare, but she is quite breathtaking, and I could not resist. I held it together until the end of the evening, but on my way out, I slipped. As I thanked Hanorah for having me and congratulated her on her magical performance, I noticed that she was talking to Dominique. So I brilliantly asked, “Are you Dominique?” And then, as she smiled and nodded politely, I blurted out. “I love you.” To which she replied, ”I love you too.” And then I mumbled a few more crazy things and bolted out.
Review & photos – Annette Aghazarian
