Rema @ Place Bell

On Saturday night, we made our way to the end of the Orange Line and into Place Bell to check out Rema’s first headlining show in the Montreal area. The only other time the Nigerian singer-songwriter visited the 514 was back in the summer of 2023 for Osheaga. Now, just two years later, he’s traded outdoor festival stages for packed arenas—a testament to how far the afrobeats/trap artist has broken into the mainstream music scene in America.

The production was truly something to behold. Centre stage stood a massive stone platform. It was unveiled ten minutes before the show, and five minutes later, a crew member entered carrying a bundle of swords, which he began sheathing into the stone carvings.

As a lifelong nerd and fantasy fan, this was exactly the kind of moment that makes you think, “Alright, I’m in!”

Then the lights went out. The crowd erupted. A dense pool of smoke streamed down from the stone platform, and then—Rema. Slowly rising from a hole in the stage to the top of the platform, he looked up, smiling, pulled one of the swords out, and just like that, we were off to the races. It’s easily one of the coolest stage entrances I’ve ever seen. Two days later, I’m still thinking about it.

After opening with “AZAMAN,” Rema paused to talk to the audience. He expressed his gratitude to those who spent their hard-earned money to be there. “I know some of you here live paycheque to paycheque. You chose to be here with me tonight, and I’m forever grateful for all of you.” He then added, “Now let’s get this thing started. Because this is not a concert… It’s a Rema party!”

At that moment, the seating section became anything but, as the whole crowd jumped and danced to the rhythm of “YAYO”—a high-energy vibe that carried through the entire night. During the set, Rema filled Place Bell with the sounds of trap-infused afrobeats, performing some of his biggest hits from both Nigeria and America, like “Dumebi,” “Woman,” and “Hehehe.” The production was packed with bursts of fire, pyrotechnics, smoke, and a multi-stage setup that rivalled any of the big pop productions running to date.

As a Latino immigrant, shows like this are part of what made me fall in love with Montreal. That an artist from Nigeria can come to the edge of our country and sell out one of the biggest venues on the Canadian East Coast—it’s a testament to how multicultural our city is, and why we’re all better for it.

Review & photos – Andres Amaya

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