Les Louanges

ArtsFestivalsMusic

So after a two year hiatus the full version of Osheaga is finally back! Yes there was a smaller version last fall and yes concerts have been back for a while, but this is still a big deal for Montreal music fans.

As usual we at FTB aren’t going to preview the Dua Lipas or Arcade Fires of the world since you know who they are already. Here is some lesser known talent to put on your radar if you’re planning to attend any or all of the three days of fun in the sun this weekend.

This comes with the standard disclaimer: This list is completely biased, unsystematically researched and only meant to inspire you to do your own digging about who’s playing.

Boy Golden

The show I’m the most curious about is Canadian alt rock/country singer, spiritual advisor and mullet enthusiast Boy Golden. His online promotion flirts with the line between cult leader and musician in a very tongue in cheek way and his songs are perfect to listen to on a warm summer day.

His latest album The Church of Better Daze seems to be attracting many converts to his ministry and on Sunday at 2 pm on the Mountain Stage you can check it out for yourself.

Les Louanges

The last time the Fest was in full swing I randomly stumbled into a set by an artist I’d never heard before and was immediately hooked on the warm fuzzy sounds coming from the stage . A short check of the program later, I figured out it was Quebec native Les Louanges.

He’s back again this year on the Tree Stage, Friday night at 7:45 pm. I’ll be checking out his set again, but this time not by chance.

Mitski

Speaking of Osheaga veterans, Mitski is also performing in back-to-back (with a covid hiatus) years. Last time I was super impressed by her energy and stage presence.

Back in February she released her latest album Laurel Hell and I’m excited to hear the new tracks live. She’ll be on the Mountain Stage, Saturday at 6:35 pm.

Idles

My “I don’t really know them but let’s give it a shot” pick this year is British rock band Idles. When I’m trying to decide who to check out for a festival I usually steer towards live performances as the best method of assessment.

I happened to land on the one below and was completely blown away. The energy from this band is just amazing and they didn’t even have a crowd to feed off of for this performance. They’ll be playing the Green Stage, Sunday at 9:20pm.

Les Street Monkeys

The latest Indie sensation is a Cambodian fusion band out of Montreal with tunes that have been inspired by… nah I can’t keep this up. Les Street Monkeys is a restaurant in Verdun and they’re the food truck I’m most excited to try now that Grumman ’78 is no more.

The part about being Cambodian was true and their menu looks pretty awesome. They’ll be playing the food truck area all weekend long.

Osheaga 2022 runs July 29, 30 and 31. Tickets and info at osheaga.com

More previews tomorrow and full coverage this weekend on FTB

ArtsFestivalsMusic

Pop Montreal starts tonight and as usual FTB has asked me to do the impossible and pick my choices for the best shows to go and see. If you take a peek at the schedule you’ll see that’s clearly impossible with so many bands playing in such a short period of time.

Here’s a few options that most caught my eye but even as I write this I’m seeing many more choices that I might like. I tried not to stick to one genre or type of show but I did stick to music only.

I will just briefly mention that there’s way more to Pop than just music, my other favourite part of the fest is Film Pop which has some really interesting movie screenings this weekend.

Ok, on to the music!

Blinker the Star

Not every band you see at Pop has to be fresh off their debut album. Veterans of the Indie rock scene Blinker the Star have been around since the 90s, which for some of you might feel like ancient times, but believe it or not they actually had good music way back then.

This isn’t however a pick for nostalgia’s sake, they have a new album out and it’s quite good. I’m interested to see how it will be performed live when they play at Petit Campus on September 26th.

Wolf Castle

I’ll admit my interest was initially peaked by the clever name reference but when I looked into it I didn’t find a fictional Austrian action star whose bit part has been an endearing part of a long running cartoon comedy series. Instead I found a young rapper, singer, producer who hails from Pabineau First Nation in New Brunswick.

I checked out his bandcamp and immediately got sucked in. Maybe you will too. If you do, he’s playing at La Sotterenea on the 26th.

Les Louanges

First of all, free show! Also worth noting: it’s at 4pm on Saturday (28th) and it’s outdoors at Skatepark du Mile-End. Those factors combined makes this one of my “family friendly” suggestions. It would also be a good choice as the opener for anyone who is planning to make it out on Saturday night.

I’ll let the music speak for itself but I will just add that I had a chance to catch the end of Les Louange’s set at Osheaga this year and I was very impressed. I’ll be sure to catch the whole thing this Saturday.

KOKOKO!

If you’re out on Wednesday night this is the show to end the evening with. Starting at 11pm at the Piccolo Rialto (with openers Mabika-Ki & Le Moovmnt Populaire Bantu and DOOMSQUAD) KOKOKO! will be bringing their mix of modern electronic music and lo-fi instruments to what is certain to be the best dance party of the night.

Proving that music can be made by just about anyone and with just about anything, this collective is known for making instruments out of items that you wouldn’t normally expect. Check out this live clip to see what I mean.

Blue Grass BBQ

The title is pretty self-explanatory. On Sunday afternoon from Noon till around 7 there will be a free (to get in) BBQ at Skatepark du Mile End. This is another great choice for those of you with kids or on a budget.

It features various bluegrass artists throughout the day. You can check out the Pop Website for specific band listings but it’s safe to say that at whatever point you show up you’ll be getting hear to free bluegrass music and relax outside. Not a bad combination!

POP Montreal 2019 runs until September 29th. For complete schedule and ticket info, check out popmontreal.com