POP Montreal returned for another triumphant edition featuring an incredible program of shows across multiple venues across the city. From two Men I Trust concerts at MTelus, to rooftop performances, a parade, a surprise Backxwash show, and so many great artists to discover, this year’s festival was another resounding success.
It’s impossible to catch everything, but we tried our best!
Twin Shadow
Here to get the night started is Twin Shadow. It was a nice and calm beginning to the show. His classical guitar paired so well with his heavy voice.
He engaged well with the crowd, encouraged them to sing along and offered his thanks to everyone who came early to see his set. He had a warmth to him that shone through in his performance.
Men I Trust
Cheers filled the room as the members walked over to their places on stage. The opening riff to Fiero GT was gracefully introduced and the set began. The spotlight shone brightly on the lead guitarist, orange lighting found its way to the stage as well, bringing life to the beginning of the performance.
Vocalist Emmanuelle Proulx gave a quick hello to MTelus in French, which was given back in gleeful cheers from the crowd. Her voice was soft and graceful; it soothed the ears of everyone in attendance to their sold-out show. The audience loved every moment. They screamed compliments and danced along to the smooth melodies played by the Montreal-based band.
The crowd were clearly enraptured by the performance. The setup was simple; cool coloured lighting shone onto the stage, and each band member danced in their respective spots as they played their instruments. Montreal sang along sweetly to every beloved lyric, swaying side to side, holding one another, and were present in the moment.
Men I Trust played a variety of their music, some old and some not as old, such as Ring of Past, Lauren, Humming Man, and I Hope to Be Around. Every song seemed to melt into one another, curating multiple different feelings, like nostalgia, melancholy, contentment, and joy. I looked around me to see people smiling as they sang along to the words, couples holding each other as they watched the show, and one person was dancing alone while surrounded by swaying people. I wondered who among me was just as proud as me to be seeing such a successful band from Montreal playing a sold-out show and who wouldn’t even care where the band originated from.
Either way, everyone in MTelus had at least one thing in common, and that was appreciation for Men I Trust, and the music they release. Men I Trust are great live performers. They seem to have fun on stage, and their joyous expressions when listening to the crowd cheer prove that performing live can be very rewarding. If you didn’t get the chance to see Men I Trust play at MTelus, then you’re in luck, because they not only regularly play shows in Montreal, but they usually are scheduled for a couple of nights. So even though their shows sell out, you’d still get the chance to see them soon.
Jamie Siddall
Haley Blais
Over at Le Ministere, a packed-out young crowd were enthusiastically singing along to every word with Vancouver singer-songwriter Haley Blais. Touring in support of her excellent new album, Wisecrack, she remained seated with her guitar for an all-too-short set and seemed genuinely taken aback by the audience’s obvious appreciation.
Tommy Lefroy
Headliners Tommy Lefroy instantly had the crowd in the palm of their hand with their high-energy pop-rock. Tessa Mouzourakis and Wynter Bethel are both great performers and had a fantastic rapport with their fans. For me, it occasionally bordered on standard pub-rock, but there’s no denying everyone was having a fun night as they sang along to every song.
Ratboys
The name Ratboys might conjure up visions of some scuzzy punk rock band, but the Chicago 4-piece offer up a compelling embodiment of creativity, authenticity, and a unique blend of musical genres that makes them one of the bands I was most excited to catch during the festival. They drew a healthy crowd at The Diving Bell Social Club and did not disappoint.
Ratboys, fronted by the talented Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan, have been making waves in the indie rock and folk scenes since 2011. Their music is an eclectic fusion of indie rock, folk, and country influences, creating a sonic landscape that’s as diverse as the city that nurtured them. What sets Ratboys apart is their remarkable ability to defy genre boundaries, with Steiner’s evocative vocals and Sagan’s skillful guitar work resulting in a sound that’s refreshingly distinct.
Laraw
Fresh from releasing her fantastic single, Teach Me How To Love, for Bravo, Montreal’s Laraw (pronounced Lara) took to the tiny stage at Martha Wainwright’s URSA bar and looked like she was having the best time. Her energy was infectious, and spectators were soon smiling and dancing along to her songs, which are often reminiscent of 90s alternative rock.
Good Fortune
If you are familiar with the name Kelsey McNulty, it’s probably because of her work as a musician for artists like Great Lake Swimmers, The Boxcar Boys, and Ben Caplan. She also sings songs under the moniker Good Fortune that could be referred to as “retro-pop”; the term at least begins to give the listener a sense of the artistic range covered here, even though it denotes a sound that is purely derivative of the past. Good Fortune, however, manages to sound and feel new, with a wide variety of sonic flavours to whet the listener’s appetite, despite being unmistakably influenced by 1960s pop.
Backxwash
A last-minute flight cancellation causes Junglepussy to have to cancel her planned headline slot. Thankfully, Polaris Music Prize-winning rapper/producer Backxwash is on hand to step in for an incredible surprise performance in the basement Piccolo Rialto.
At 1:30 in the morning, she takes to the stage for a cathartic, expressive set of heavy, alternative hip-hop, often venturing into the crowd before falling to her back on stage as she delivers fierce rhymes over industrial-sized beats. Magical!
Helena Deland
Witnessing live music on the roof of the Rialto feels special, no matter who’s playing. The view over the city is quite something. Watching Helena Deland play her new album in full as the sun fell in the sky was absolutely magical. The gentle, beautiful songs had the assembled congregation enraptured. The new record promises to be something special indeed.
Love Language
Over at Entrepot77, one of the best lineups of Pop Montreal saw Love Language bringing some superb post-punk vibes to the late afternoon. Impressive musicianship combined with Anishinaabe singer Tashiina Buswa’s compelling stage presence makes for a captivating live experience.
A powerful message about missing indigenous women added context and weight to the band’s message. Love Language are currently recording on their debut album, which is being produced by Monty Munro (Preoccupations) and Marleana Moore. The future looks bright.
Barber For The Queen
There was a quick change of pace next as Barber For The Queen committed to getting the party started. The band has been playing underground venues in Montreal since 2017 and released their album BABA this summer, from which much of this evening’s set stemmed.
Their sound was tight and funky, with elements of synthpop and disco with an alternative slant. Definitely a name to keep an eye on.
La Sécurité
One of my absolute favourite discoveries of Pop Montreal was Montreal band La Sécurité.
They are a collective whose art punk is comprised equally of jumpy beats, off-kilter arrangements, and minimalistic melodic hooks run through an insomniac filter as a result of excessive exposure to the city’s neon lights. The lyrics share the ethos of the Riot Grrrl movement and praise the autonomization of women, friends (mean and nice), as well as benevolence. The music is all about living dangerously and is entirely suitable for being blasted onto dance floors.
Steve Gerrard
Dr. Cornel West
Dr. Cornel West graced us with his infinite wisdom on Saturday night at the Rialto Theatre, delivering a deep and diverse discussion that left me feeling like I needed to go back to school. (I have a BA in English Literature, and I had to Google some words.)
Moderated by curator/anthropologist James Oscar, the event was titled “Prophetic Resonance,” and the topics ranged from American Renaissance authors (Thoreau and Melville) to Muhammad Ali’s boxing style.
The word “catastrophic” was used many times throughout the evening in reference to African-American history and how it contributed to the blues. Casually dropping names like Prince, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, and many others, he always managed to share a personal anecdote that was relevant to the conversation. He always found a way to cleverly bring it back to Coltrane. Unabashedly declaring, “I am a jazzman,” with a mischievous grin.
Brother West took questions from the audience after the discussion. When asked about the horrors of residential schools and the treatment of indigenous peoples, he humbly admitted that he did not know that September 30th was our national day of truth and reconciliation. (And I think that was the only thing he did not know.) He then suggested right there that we take a moment of silence to honour all our indigenous brothers and sisters who had lost their lives and suffered. As we all bowed our heads, the room went completely still, and I felt the weight of the silence just as I had felt the weight of Dr. West’s powerful words. I have never in my life heard anyone speak as passionately, eloquently, or as brilliantly. I’m not American, but if I were, he would get my vote for president.
Annette Aghazarian
lila
Walking into URSA, I almost expected to find an empty room as the venue felt weirdly silent. In fact, everyone in attendance was sitting transfixed by Quebec City’s lila.
Imagine Mazzy Star stripped down to its bare bones, and you’ll be in the right ballpark for the utterly beautiful music performed by this multidisciplinary artist, whose music floats somewhere between dark folk, indie, dream pop and ambient. Crazy talented yet clearly very humble, they are currently working on their debut album, and I, for one, can’t wait to hear the results.
Becca Mancari
Tonight’s headliner chose to switch timeslots so they weren’t too tired to perform at their best. No danger of that as Nashville’s Becca Mancari gave a performance that was an absolute highlight of my Pop Montreal experience. It was one of those gigs where you felt you were witnessing something truly special in an intimate room but also felt bad that there weren’t hundreds more people there to share the experience.
Touring in support of the excellent album Left Hand, Mancari instantly won over the room with perfectly crafted indie folk rock. Their sense of humour made the intimate occasion even more special, and she seemed keen to return to Montreal soon. Mancari is a member of the band Bermuda Triangle alongside Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes and their song, Don’t Even Worry, was a highlight of the set.
His His
Aiden Belo is the driving force behind Toronto’s un-Googlable His His. Apparently, he’d brought a bunch of fans along tonight, as one group of people were way more vocal in their approval than the rest of the room!
His His play a pleasant blend of lo-fi folk music that went down well with everyone without being overly-memorable. Some very cool slide guitar definitely added a worthwhile extra layer to the sound.
Ellen Froese
Tonight’s stand-in headliner was folk-country singer/songwriter Ellen Froese, who did an excellent job of making sure everyone stuck around to enjoy her set, which brought excellent musicianship from her and her band, as well as plenty of endearing personality from Froese herself.
Froese’s traditional folk origins are evident, showing a fondness for more modern bands like Wilco as well as 1960s British folk pioneers like Fairport Convention and Nick Drake.
Steve Gerrard
Pop Parade
Sunday was the last day of Pop Montreal, so I decided to take advantage of the great weather and check out the Pop parade. I had no idea what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a full klezmer band in bright yellow vests strolling down Parc Avenue with a crowd of people of all ages and genders in tow. Parents pushing strollers, couples holding hands, and happy dogs walking with their families. Like a child lured by a piper, I obediently followed the exuberant accordionist who led us on a magical mystery tour.
Our melodic caravan made stops at URSA, an outdoor café, an alleyway and a viaduct, where local artists were waiting for us to generously share their music. Basia Bulat, The Verrandas, Katie Moore, The Barr Brothers and El Mega S.P.R.M. all played short but memorable sets.
The most remarkable being The Barr Brothers, waiting under a viaduct to be joined by the klezmer band for a surreal jam session.
Standing in front of a concrete wall covered in graffiti, his face hidden by the hood of his djellaba, Brad struck a mystical pose as he pulled the string of his guitar like a rock ‘n’ roll wizard. His brother Andrew on drums, smiling at his son, who danced through the crowd, would sometimes use the back wall for percussion. There were lollypops at their feet, which delighted the children. As if we needed any more treats to indulge in. As if the joyful spontaneity and sense of community that music can bring was not enough.
Annette Aghazarian
Review – Jamie Siddall, Annette Aghazarian and Steve Gerrard
Photos – Steve Gerrard and Annette Aghazarian
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