Thanks to some of the worst traffic I’ve ever seen around St. Henri, I completely miss show opener Eliza McLamb (sorry, Eliza) and barely make it in time for Lutalo’s 9 p.m. start. I wander in just as they’re getting going. Things start off fairly mellow, and the crowd is a little too stationary for the Vermonter’s liking: “It’s OK to dance, y’know,” he announces. A good chunk of the crowd duly obliges, and the set ends triumphantly with one particularly raucous rock-out, prompting a guy in the crowd to declare, “THE BASS F**KING ROCKS!” Bassist Lilly nods in appreciation. The 30-minute set draws exclusively from Lutalo’s recently released debut record, *The Academy*, and based on tonight’s performance, it’s one to check out when I get home for sure!
For her first headline show in Montreal, it’s impressive to see how Nilüfer Yanya has managed to fill out Théâtre Beanfield, even after a last-minute switch from the doomed La Tulipe (R.I.P.) with its much lower capacity. If ever there was a song to win you over in one listen, it’s the title track to her third record, this year’s Method Actor. An atmospheric strum suddenly erupts into a distorted, scuzzy guitar riff at the chorus, and at that point, you’re hooked. It’s the song Nilüfer elects to start the set with, too—no messing around here! The riff in question is just as ferocious live, and the live version throws in saxophone in the outro, giving things an altogether moodier vibe.
The sax makes regular appearances throughout the set, as it happens, on songs like Wingspan, Call It Love, and a killer cover of PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me, where it provides the high-pitched harmony instead of a vocal. Mutations rumbles along wonderfully, the mood accentuated by dim purple light, as does the hypnotic L/R.
That’s not to suggest the entire set is just mood music; far from it. Perhaps the highlights of the night are the extremes of her musical spectrum. Heavyweight Champion of the Year is super stripped down, with just Nilüfer, her guitar, and her exquisite vocal range; her four-piece band sit on the stage, looking as enthralled as the rest of us. Yet three songs later, trouble and its drum pad beats roll along at a steady pace, and then—bam! The vocal drops, and the drum machine gets so loud the floor shakes underfoot. The frantic, machine-gun drum beats of stabilise bear more than a passing resemblance to Jigsaw Falling Into Place by Radiohead.
It’s a fantastic 80 minutes from start to finish. Nilüfer appreciates the love from the crowd: “You sound amazing, such a vibe; I should come here more often!”
We’ll hold you to that!
Setlist
Method Actor
L/R
chase me
Like I Say (I runaway)
Wingspan
Mutations
Ready for Sun (touch)
Heavyweight Champion of the Year
Call It Love
Binding
trouble
the dealer
stabilise
Encore
Rid of Me (PJ Harvey cover)
midnight sun
Review – Simon Williams
Photos – Steve Gerrard
