Under the word “Cool” in the Oxford Dictionary, there is simply a picture of The XX. Well… I haven’t really checked, but if it isn’t there, after tonight’s show… it should be.
It feels like summer has started with my first outdoor show of the year, The XX and Kelela Mizanekristos (a.k.a. Kelela) opening. Kelela took the stage and immediately, the first 50 rows were attacked sonically by a punch to the eardrums from the sub-woofers. Now, I’m not one to complain about loud music, but unfortunately for Kelela, we have no clue what she sang or if she could sing at all. Only through the occasional breaks in the overpowering bass did we get a small glimpse of her voice, ever so slightly till the assault continued. I actually thought she was from a David Lynch movie because for the first few songs, she was fuzzy because of the reverberations. Only thanks to my concert neighbor Karim, who drove all the way from Ottawa to catch the show and give me some napkins to stuff in my ears as I passed on this precious treasure to the next person, was I able to avoid permanent damage.
During the intermission, one of the roadies looked suspiciously like Santa. I guess one needs a summer job and the for the first time ever, the crowd cheered as a roadie picked up a speaker.
The XX entered and started with “Say Something Loving” from their newest release I See You. Like a well-oiled machine, Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim & Jamie xx played a tight set with a cool demeanor, yet relaxed and natural. I remember when they played the Canal almost 4 years ago and I thought: “Who wants to see a bunch of bored teens?” Now, I loved the album, but they did not seem like a high-energy bunch. I immediately regretted it when a good friend of mine told me it was the best show she saw, she loved it. Really? I wasn’t going to miss them again and I’m so glad my time finally came to experience The XX live.
The second song brought back those memories as they played “Crystalised”, much to the delight of the crowd. From their debut album, we would hear “Islands”, “Infinity”, “VCR”, “Shelter” and “Intro”over the course of the evening.
For an intimate moment, Romy sang “Performance” solo, at the suggestion of the band which brought chills to the back of your spine. Both Romy & Oliver have this voice that digs deep into memories of being a teenager feeling lost love and being alone in the world.
Although the events in Manchester were not uttered, it is always eerie to go to a show after such a tragedy. For a few hours, we were able to lose our insecurities and simply enjoy the moment. The great Evenko staff make us feel safe and live music reminded us that life is fragile and we should enjoy every minute of it and not let fear stop us from doing so.
An amazing set featuring songs from all albums ended with an encore starting with Jamie xx getting us going with the intro to “On Hold” which had us all dancing. Before ending the show with two last songs, there was a moment when the applause from the Montreal crowd seemed to go on forever, much to the surprise of the shy Romy. Oliver recognized that although much love was going towards him, he graciously directed it towards Romy, which just seemed to amplify the love. Romy mentioned how they appreciated each and every one who attended tonight and that they saw us. “Intro” & “Angels” took us home and wrapped up the evening like a gift we all received from the coolest band in town.
Setlist
Say Something Loving
Crystalised
Islands
I Dare You
Lips
Sunset
Replica
Performance
Infinity
VCR
Dangerous
Fiction
Shelter
Loud Places (Jamie xx Cover)
Encore
On Hold
Intro
Angels
Review & Photos– 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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