Concert Reviews

Friko Freaks Out at Bar Le Ritz

Any show which can rouse me from my Monday mid-afternoon, post-Hive free lunch nap better be one worth writing home about – Starcleaner Reunion and Friko’s Monday night show at Bar Le Ritz was worth every second and the near 40-minute trek it took to get home.


Golden Tickets, Poutine and a Gift Card to Chilli’s: Welcome to a BBno$ Show!

If you didn’t already know, this Vancouver-based artist’s self-titled world tour made its last Canadian stop this past Saturday. “It’s Pronounced BABY NO MONEY” is a play on the internet’s constant mispronunciation of his stage name. I, too, am guilty of such violations. It wasn’t until OSHEAGA 2023—seeing him live for the first time—that I realized how wrong I’d been to insist on calling him BB-NOS.


Milk & Bone, a thirst for coconut water, and a climate warrior pop star at the SAT

    Montreal’s Milk & Bone, an electro-pop duo integral to the local music scene, celebrated the 10 year anniversary of their debut album Little Mourning at the Société des Arts Technologiques (SAT).


Underdressed at the MTELUS Symphony

Last Saturday night, Faye Webster ignited Montreal at the jam-packed venue that is Mtelus. The crowd was filled with 20-something indie kids dressed to impress in Pinterest-worthy outfits, ready for Webster’s return to Montreal.  Attending the show with my 16-year-old sister, we were especially excited as March 1st marked the one year anniversary of Underdressed at The Symphony. Many fans knew this and the signage represented that.


Pitchfork Readers Rejoice: Benjamin Booker and Kenny Segal Live in Montreal

Living in Montreal as a second-year university student, I am only exposed to very specific demographics: students, aged 19-24, almost all broke and opinionated. These are the people that make up my circles, and the circles of my friends and their friends, the only demographics I really have any reason to interact with. That’s why, when walking into Bar L’Escogriffe last Saturday, I felt transported into another world, a world far removed from my own. Filling the St. Denis nook were millennials from bar to wall, all toting Doc Martens and second-hand Carhartt vests.


That Jonathan Feeling: Jonathan Richman Jives at La Sala Rossa

Inside the crowded, cozy room of La Sala Rossa, Jonathan Richman and Tommy Larkins played to a crowd as eclectic as the cobbled-together, endearingly DIY-ed decor of the venue. It was as though the wind had blown Bar Star Bar’s Lord of the Rings trivia attendees from right next door straight into the mezzanine; their polite concert etiquette far outdid any of the other shows I’ve been to recently.


Inhaler ignites Mtelus with a high-energy performance on their Open Wide World tour

In the dead of winter, at a bone-chilling -20 degrees on Sunday night, an army of dedicated fans defied the cold to pack Mtelus, awaiting the performance of Dublin's very own Inhaler for their second headline show in Montreal promoting their third studio album Open Wide. Wrapped in layers upon layers, the fans' unwavering passion transformed the harsh weather into a palpable,  electrifying celebration of live music. 


Foster the People kick things up at MTelus

The crowd roared as the lights dimmed and the stage filled with haze, welcoming Foster the People on stage. After a 7-year absence from the city, the band was back in Montreal’s MTelus to promote their newest album Paradise State of Mind


Faux Real gets ready sweaty with art-pop pilates at Foufounes Electriques

High-energy Franco-American art-pop brother duo Faux Real graced the floors of Foufounes Electric with their toe shoes this week with openers Lola 1:2 and Sean Nicolas Savage.


Neriah at Petit Campus: “How an Intimate Venue can Turn into a Living-Room Sing-Along with Your Favorite Artist .”

Sunday, March 2nd offered Montreal’s Petit Campus a break from their usual shoulder-to-shoulder, hectic crowd. LA-born singer Neriah stopped into the venue while on her first-ever headline tour, The Unfinished Business Tour, and was met by an intimate gathering of fans. 


Molchat Doma Hypnotizes MTELUS

Founded in 2017 in Minsk, Belarus, MOLCHAT DOMA stands at the intersection of post-punk, new wave, and synth-pop. Their 2018 album Etazhi quickly became a cult classic, with its hypnotic blend of guitar and synth melodies that manage to get stuck in your head long after the music stops. This tour focused on their latest release, Belaya Polosa (2024), showcasing their growth as a band while retaining the signature sound that has garnered them a global following.


Silverstein, Thursday, Arm’s Length, and Split Chain Bring Emo and More to l’Olympia

Silverstein, Thursday, Arm’s Length, and Split Chain, took over l’Olympia this past Saturday, February 15th. It’s Silverstein’s 25th-anniversary tour, and they brought a stacked lineup, ranging from 2000s legends Thursday to steadily rising Arm’s Length and new kids on the UK block Split Chain.


Nico Play Serenades Montreal at La Sotterranea

Last Thursday, bilingual singer-songwriter Nico Play played a short and sweet set at La Sotterranea. The intimate setting of the venue paired beautifully with the serene sounds of the artist’s music, where he performed on stage solo with an acoustic guitar. Not only did this make the show more personal and raw, but it emphasized his honeyed vocals and vulnerable lyrics. 


Wunderhorse at Le Belmont: A Rare and Intimate Night with a Band Destined for Bigger Stages

There’s something uniquely special about seeing a band on the rise in a venue that barely holds a few hundred people, especially when that band is Wunderhorse, — a UK-based rock band that’s quickly gained a reputation for their powerful blend of raw emotion, intricate melodies, and explosive energy.


Machine Girl: A Sonic Revolution

Machine Girl, the brainchild of Matt Stephenson, emerged from Long Island, New York, in 2012. Drawing inspiration from Japanese media, notably the cult classic film The Machine Girl, the band has carved out a distinctive niche in the music world. Over the years, Machine Girl has released 11 albums, each brimming with energy and novel, genre-defying sounds.


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