Movements + Turnover + Queen Of Jeans @ Beanfield Theatre

Prepping the stage on this fine Friday evening was indie rock outfit Queen of Jeans. They graced us with half an hour of pleasant tunes that took inspiration from traditional indie rock, pop-punk, and folk. Some songs featured awesome banjo solos and captivating harmonies. Their lead vocalist was reminiscent of other female leads in the genre, such as Middle Kids or PONY. Overall, they packed a punch with the short time they had on stage and were well-received by the audience!

Anticipation filled the air as the crowd waited for Turnover to take the stage. This band’s seamless blend of indie rock and emo music is truly unique and beloved by many. When they took the stage, judging from their appearance, you’d expect them to start ripping out some hardcore songs and stirring up mosh pits. Instead, they quietly started playing their emotional jangle pop/rock songs with such suave.

Songs like “Super Natural,” which have been in my rotation for a while, were such a treat to hear live. Turnover excels at writing beautiful riffs that instantly hook you in. Their sophomore album, Peripheral Vision, is full of them. It’s widely regarded as their best and a cult classic. All the songs they played from that album were extremely well received by the audience. It was clear that these songs meant so much to many in the crowd, as they sang along at the top of their lungs. This band’s songs are unfiltered and speak straight to the heart. They closed their set with “Take My Head,” an energetic dream pop song you should definitely check out if you love brutally honest lyrics.

Turnover hasn’t played in Montreal since 2015, and they made sure to apologize several times from the stage for this prolonged absence. I sure hope they return soon for a headline show because they’d definitely draw a massive audience of their own!

Next up was our headliner, Movements. They burst onto the stage with the triumphant opening track from their latest album, “You’re One of Us Now.” With a song as hard-hitting as this one, I was expecting the crowd to instantly explode. Though it was well received, it wasn’t until the second song, “Lead Pipe,” and some hyping up from the lead singer, that a mosh pit broke out. Any doubts that this would be a special and energetic show were squashed pretty quickly.

The band seemed extremely confident in their new material, as they played seven songs straight from their new albums before getting into any of their classics. Lead singer Patrick Miranda expressed his appreciation over and over for how well these new songs were received and promised that the old tunes everyone holds so dear would come later in the set. Even though Movements’ new album RUCKUS is a bit of a departure from their emo-leaning debut, it is still undeniably amazing. All the songs rocked hard and translated super well to a live setting. Dedicated fans chanted the lyrics and danced passionately to every song, new or old, that they played this evening.

When they finally played a song from their beloved debut, Feel Something, the crowd turned into a different beast. The whole second half of the setlist was extremely energetic, though I appreciated slower moments like “A.M.P.” and “Tightrope” so I could catch my breath.

Patrick controlled the crowd very nicely, and the energy was exactly where he wanted it to be, even surpassing his expectations. Their fans were completely in sync with the band. This was surprisingly Movements’ first time in Montreal, but they kept expressing how impressed they were with our crowd. I’m inclined to actually believe the line the singer dropped about this being his favourite show of the tour. It’s hard to see how any crowd could’ve been more electric than ours was. Hopefully, this means they’ll return in the future!

They finished their set with three heavy hitters, allowing everyone to unleash the last of their energy. When they played “Daylily,” their biggest and most emotional tune, the fans gave it their all. I felt as if the audience was giving just as much of a performance as the band was.

With a stacked bill and passionate fans, this entire evening was an extreme success in my book. Turnover got us in our feels, and Movements let us unleash our inner angst. I can’t wait to see both of these bands again!

Turnover Setlist