Fontaines D.C. + Been Stellar @ MTelus

On the 2024 gig calendar, tonight is one of the big ones. For the past five months, since tickets went on sale (and promptly sold out), I’ve been looking forward to this. I even bought tickets in case the review request wasn’t approved; I wasn’t messing around!

It’s exciting to see a band at the peak of their powers, exemplified by the line at the merch table before tonight’s opener even hits the stage—a line that spans the width of MTelus, no less. There’s no question that the Fontaines D.C. star is shining brightly right now.

Another band whose star is beginning to shine is New York’s Been Stellar, charged with opening the show tonight. It’s quite the upgrade in stage size since their last visit in May 2023, opening for Shame at Fouf’s, but they own it right off the bat. Their moody, Interpol-esque rock perfectly complements the headliner’s new record, and the flurry of nodding heads that greet set opener “Scream from New York, NY” is visible approval.

“Manhattan Youth” is the perfect song to make you fall in love with this band in one listen (at least, it was for me). I’m not jumping alone in the floor section when it arrives, which tells me I’m not the only one already besotted. “Pumpkin” is dedicated to Clairo (no clue why), and then the disjointed drum beats of “All in One” give way to a bassline that feels like an earthquake underfoot.

“Kids 1995” and a frenetic “I Have the Answer” close out the 30-minute set after frontman Sam Slocum proclaims, “Thanks for coming out early to see us!” It surely won’t be long before they’re headlining stages of this size themselves.

Been Stellar Setlist

  • Scream From New York, NY
  • Manhattan Youth
  • Sweet
  • Pumpkin
  • All in One
  • Kids 1995
  • I Have the Answer

Leonard Cohen’s “Avalanche” fittingly heralds the arrival of the mighty Fontaines D.C. on stage for their biggest Montreal headline show to date. Initially, it’s just drummer Carlos O’Connell and bassist Connor Deegan III, constructing the sinister intro of new album opener “Romance,” with the rest of the band arriving one-by-one as the churning mood escalates.

The arrival of “Jackie Down the Line” detonates the pit, and it’s relentless all night; I think “Sundowner” is the only song on which the pit takes a breather. Honestly, there’s even a crowd surfer during the delicate strum of “In the Modern World,” such is the fervour of the pit. Things reach incendiary levels on “Boys in the Better Land,” and the peak arrives on show closer “Starburster,” with a huge circle forming on the floor before it slams shut in a flurry of bodies during the last chorus.

Frontman Grian Chatten is mesmerizing throughout, arriving in a furry trapper hat and those bizarre goggle sunglasses, keeping them on for a good chunk of the set. Banter is minimal; aside from a brief “cheers, horrr ya doin’?” (my phonetic attempt at an Irish accent), he rarely addresses the crowd. But he doesn’t need to, with the audience eating out of his hand, cheering every time he throws up his arms, somehow drawing even more energy from the already-frenzied crowd on songs like “Big Shot” and “Jackie Down the Line.”

The opening lines of “Nabokov” feel like they’ll blow the roof off, as Grian bellows, “I did you a favourrrrr.” As “Boys in the Better Land” winds down, he beats his tambourine on his chest like the undisputed king of the jungle. “I Love You” is the crown jewel of the set, with a thumping drum beat leading to the vocal outro section that ends as ultra-bright lights suddenly illuminate the room while Grian howls, “Would I lieeeeeeeeeeeee?!” It’s absolutely immense.

If there’s a downside, it’s that, thanks to setlist.fm, everyone knows two songs played at previous shows in Toronto, Chicago, Minneapolis, etc., were cut from tonight’s setlist. We don’t get old songs “Sha Sha Sha” or the classic “A Hero’s Death.” It’s a bizarre decision, as the show ends about 30 minutes before curfew, so it’s clearly not a timing issue. And it wasn’t an in-show decision based on crowd response either, as indicated by the printed setlist on stage; it was most definitely pre-planned. This seems to be a pattern going forward; as I write this, I see Boston suffered the same fate the next night.

Still, perhaps I should judge a show by what did happen, not by what didn’t. And if that’s the case, then this was a phenomenal evening by all accounts. Here’s hoping we get the full experience next time!

Fontaines D.C. Setlist

  • Romance
  • Jackie Down the Line
  • Televised Mind
  • A Lucid Dream
  • Roman Holiday
  • Big Shot
  • Death Kink
  • Bug
  • Here’s the Thing
  • Big
  • Sundowner
  • Nabokov
  • Boys in the Better Land
  • Favourite

Encore

  • In the Modern World
  • I Love You
  • Starburster

Review – Simon Williams
Photos – Steve Gerrard

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