To have an amazing Osheaga experience, it’s best to do some recon before the show. Using the Osheaga lineup schedule and YouTube, you can select the bands you want to see. If you get the smartphone app, you can save your selections to make it easier onsite.
To help you make your selection, Montreal Rocks offers you a quick and easy short guide to Friday’s lineup. NOTE: I did not include Piknic Electronic. If you are into that music…you know you will be there.
FRIDAY (SOLD OUT)
1:00 PM
Banners (Scene de la Riviere) 1:00 PM – 1:40 PM
Liverpool songwriter Mike Nelson with some uplifting falsetto pop. Best known for “Shine a Light” on the Fifa game trailer in 2015.
Caveboy (Scene Verte Sonnet) 1:00 PM – 1:35 PM
Indie DreamPop from our very own Montreal! Their songs have been featured a few shows including “Orange is the New Black”.
Elephant Stone (Scene de la Vallee) 1:35 PM – 2:05 PM
Canadian indie rock band with a touch of Indian music and Brit Pop. What’s a festival without a sitar? They toured with Beck, so not too shabby.
La Famille Ouellette (Scene des Arbres) 1:35 PM – 2:05 PM
French band doing folk/rock missed in with a little electro.
Dragonette (Scene de la Montagne) 1:40 PM – 2:25 PM
Canadian electronic music if you are in the mood to dance. Best known for the song “Hello” with Martin Solveig.
Randal’s Choice: This is a hard one…stay at the big stages to catch Dragonette + Banners or head out to the smaller stages to catch Elephant Stone and Caveboy. I will have to flip a coin on this one.
2:00 PM
Jeremy Loops (Scene Verte Sonnet) 2:05 PM – 2:45 PM
South African singer and songwriter with sing-a-long folk. Apparently quite the act to watch, as they won Best Live Act at the 2014 MK Awards (South Africa).
Kaleo (Scene de la Riviere) 2:25 PM – 3:10 PM
Icelandic Rock Band influenced by folk and blues. We can’t seem to get enough of Icelandic bands!
Here is a clip of them in a volcano!
Jack Garratt (Scene de la Vallee) 2:45 PM – 3:25 PM
Indie Pop from British falsetto singer-songwriter.
Cool clip of people doing things that they fear.
Safia Nolin (Scene des Arbres) 2:45 PM – 3:25 PM
French folk from Quebec. Most pictures shows her picking her nose, but she picked my hometown (4 years) of Morin Heights to record her album, so good for her!
Randal’s Choice: I think I will stick to the big stages for Kaleo and Jack Garratt…but I might sneak away to see a little Jeremy Loops.
3:00 PM
Elle King (Scene de la Montagne) 3:10 PM – 3:55 PM
A blend of country, soul, rock and blues, Elle is best known for Ex’s & Oh’s but there is so much more to her repertoire. Maybe her dad Rob Schneider will be there to cheer her on, but she definitely can stand on her own two feet without the SNL pedigree. Hoping she tears one up on the banjo.
Goldlink (Scene Verte Sonnet) 3:25 PM – 4:10 PM
American rapper if you like Hip Hop. If you have seen the amazing documentary by Dave Grohl and The Foo Fighters “Sonic Highways”, you will remember the Washington Go-Go movement, which is mixed with 80’s beats to give Goldlink a vibe all his own.
Silversun Pickups (Scene de la Riviere) 3:55 PM – 4:40 PM
Trendy Alternative Rock from LA with a “Lazy Eye”. I’ve been enamored with Silversun Pickups for a very long time so this one is a must see for me.
Randal’s Choice: I can’t miss Silversun Pickups… easy choice.
3:00 PM
Dear Rouge (Scene des Arbres) 4:10 PM – 4:55 PM
Canadian (Vancouver) Electronic Rock Band. Husband and wife duo, influenced by the 80s and benefiting from the experience of their former bands to produce some catchy tunes.
Oh Wonder (Scene de la Vallee) 4:10 PM – 4:55 PM
London based Alt Pop duo who sing in unison (like early Tegan & Sara). See why they have become viral.
Passenger (Scene de la Montagne) 4:40 PM – 5:30 PM
British Folk Rock band best known for “Let Her Go”. He wrote a song about meeting a man at 3 AM dying of lung cancer. So if that intrigues you, check out Mike Rosenberg and Andrew Phillips and maybe you will quit smoking as an added bonus!
Wolf Parade (Scene Verte Sonnet) 4:55 PM – 5:40 PM
Canadian Indie Rock. I met Dan Boeckner when he was touring with Operators and was blown away (article here). When Arcade Fire covers your songs, you know it has to be good.
Randal’s Choice: I will be doing the smaller stages for this time slot. Wolf Parade will be a priority and I’m very curious about Dear Rouge.
5:00 PM
Beirut (Scene de la Riviere) 5:30 PM – 6:20 PM
American band with Zach Condon that plays a mixture of indie-rock and world music. Started in hardcore and punk bands, but just could shake the desire to play the accordion and French Horn among others. Beirut brings an original sound to the festival that is sure to please.
The Wombats (Scene de la Vallee) 5:40 PM – 6:25 PM
Indie Pop/Rock from Liverpool England made by three friends. One of their songs is called “Let’s Dance To Joy Division” so bonus points for that.
White Lung (Scene des Arbres) 5:40 PM – 6:25 PM
Canadian Punk Rock band who’s fans include Annie Clark of St-Vincent no less. Interesting that the band is in a happy state (good for them), so their songs comes from schizophrenic cast of fictional characters that bring out the energy in their sound.
Randal’s Choice: Beirut for sure, then I sneak off to White Lung.
6:00 PM
Cypress Hill (Scene de la Montagne) 6:20 PM – 7:20 PM
American Hip Hop. The last time I saw Cypress Hill was at Lollapalooza in 1992 (Long Island, NY) on a super small way off the main stage. Now, 18 million albums later, they will hit the main stage and it’s sure to be “Insane in The Brain”.
Bloc Party (Scene Verte Sonnet) 6:25 PM – 7:15 PM
Indie Rock from London UK. Take some Cure, Joy Division, Sonic Youth & Radiohead and mix thoroughly. Catchy tunes for sure with great energy.
Randal’s Choice: I will most likely do both.
7:00 PM
Marian Hill (Scene des Arbres) 7:15 PM – 8:00 PM
American minimalist electronic with some deep jazzy beats described as “Sax-ual”.
Years & Years (Scene de la Vallee) 7:15 PM – 8:00 PM
Electropop from the UK. The singer was discovered while singing in the shower, so yet another reason to keep belting it out while you soap up.
Half Moon Run (Scene de la Riviere) 7:20 PM – 8:20 PM
Our local homeboys play their indie rock on the big stage. I recently attended the intimate concert at the PSI Centre and it was amazing. Not to be missed.
Randal’s Choice: Going to the Moon on this one.
8 PM
The Underachievers (Scene Verte Sonnet) 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Hip Hop from Flathbush, Brooklyn who’s videos have gone viral. If you are into Hip Hop, this is the band to see.
The Lumineers (Scene de la Montagne) 8:20 PM – 9:20 PM
Folk Rock from Denver, Colorado known for “Ho Hey”. Born out of tragedy, Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz chose to use music to deal with the pain. “Ophelia” and “Submarines” give you a good idea of the groove they bring to the stage.
Randal’s Choice: I’m going to pick Lumineers for this one.
9:00 PM
Lapsley (Scene des Arbres) 9:00 PM – 9:50 PM
Electronica from Yorkshire UK. This 19-year-old has a voice that betrays her age and plays the guitar, piano and oboe.
Vince Staples (Scene de la Vallee) 9:00 PM – 9:50 PM
Hip Hop from Long Beach CA. His lyrics are like stories of his hard life experience in the North Side.
Red Hot Chili Peppers (Scene de la Riviere) 9:20 PM – 10:50 PM
It was that same 1992 Lollapalooza that I saw RHCP. You can’t go wrong with this choice. Who knows, maybe Will Ferrell will play drums!
Flume (Scene Verte Sonnet) 9:50 PM – 10:50 PM
Electronica from down under which mixes house and UK Garage. Great remix with Osheaga alumni Lorde.
Randal’s Choice: I really want to see Flume, but Red Hot Chili Peppers won this round.
Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and Business coach with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
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