M For Montreal: Day 1
Starting off the night was Montreal’s Final Flash. These guys haven’t been around very long, but they have been making some pretty big waves of late, and if their performance was any judge, they may be a band to really look out for. They played a short set of psychedlic rock songs from their upcoming debut album, Homeless, and provided as the perfect intro to this night of music.
The way this festival worked was that while one band was playing on the Cabaret stage, the next band was getting set up on the other stage in the Studio room across the hall. So this basically made the night move along smoothly and rapidly, getting as much music packed in as possible. So we all scurried across the hall to meet The Luyas on the other stage. This band was truly a delight. Led by the quirky lead singer, guitarist and moodswinger player Jessie Stein, this band rocked out with some interesting instruments like glockenspiel and french horn. It’s not everyday that you see distorted french horn, but these guys seemed like a band that likes to throw convention aside and pave their own path. A nice moment came when Caila Thompson-Hannant of Think About Life joined the band on stage for a song.
Next on the bill was Graham Van Pelt of Think About Life’s other band, Miracle Fortress. Usually Van Pelt is joined by a band to help him recreate his recorded music but on this night Van Pelt was flying solo. He took the stage in complete darkness. The only things lit up were a patch of light built into his shirt over his heart and a lightbulb attached to a stick, which he was rubbing on his guitar to make noise. This led the way into his set of catchy electro beats, falsetto vocals and lots of flashing lights. The crowd loved every minute of it. Unfortunately he only got to play a few songs since his songs are longer than most, but it was still a highly entertaining set.
The night really took off at this point, with The Rural Alberta Advantage‘s set at the Studio. What surprised me at first was the band was only a 3 piece. Judging by their recorded material you’d think there would more members in this band. But that was not the case. Guitar, vocals and keys are provided by Nils Edenloff, backup vocals, percussion and glockenspiel is provided by Amy Cole and Paul Banwatt slammed away at the drums. The highlight of this set was their exceptional performance of the irresistibly catchy “Frank, AB” from their debut album, Hometowns.
Next was Vancouver, BC’s You Say Party! We Say Die!. The band took the stage with lead singer Becky Ninkovic looking like a character from Eyes Wide Shut. But she quickly shed her cloak as the band ran through a bunch of songs mostly from their latest album, XXXX. There was certainly a love affair between the band and the audience and Ninkovic was in the thick of it, dancing and singing her way into our hearts. They ended their set with Ninkovic perched high above our heads on top of one of the Cabaret’s giant speakers.
Finally, it was time for a much anticipated performance by Montreal’s own Think About Life. This band is led by Graham Van Pelt (Miracle Fortress), Martin Cesar (Donkey Heart) and Caila Thompson-Hannant (Shapes & Sizes). At this point the night was at it’s climax. People were dancing like maniacs and the band was playing their hearts out. They played “Havin’ My Baby” to the delight of the packed room and then played “Johanna” which stands as one of the best single song performances of the night. It was truly an uplifting performance, by one of the most entertaining bands currently playing in Montreal. And it was the perfect ending for what was certainly a great night of music, showcasing Canadian talent. Here are some photos…
Final Flash
The Luyas
Miracle Fortress
The Rural Alberta Advantage
You Say Party! We Say Die!
Think About Life
And Here’s Some More…
(Photography by Jayme Leitner)
