Concert Reviews

Presented by I Love Neon

Another edition of POP Montreal has come to a close, and it was a good 'un, folks. As the CJLO team grapples with things like "sleep debt" and "real life", we thought we'd take a moment to reflect on some of our favourite moments of the festival.

The Power of Alison Mosshart at The Kills

There are scores of shows at POP Montreal, more rare are the MOMENTS,  when everything is beautiful, everyone is engaged, your throat tightens and you smile to yourself because you know that this is truly special. Leif Vollebekk's Friday night rooftop set was such a moment. Panoramic views over Montreal, gothic rooftops and the Mt Royal cross pushing up into the cloud line, the sun setting golden orange in the Montreal north. On a Persian rug island ringed with electric candelabra, Vollebekk sets up, invites the tiny crowd to pull near. What follows is a deeply intimate hour of music, Vollebekk alternately behind the keyboard and guitar, traffic from Parc Avenue offering the occasional punctuation. 

Presented by Evenko and POP Montreal

The music of L.A. Witch has a prowling, expansive, and gorgeously atmospheric quality that grabs the attention and enters your dreams. One can hear the influence of bands like Mazzy Star, or The Dream Syndicate and Opal from the '80s paisley underground scene in Los Angeles, but L.A. Witch's vibe is stripped down to the bare bones and sexier, with a more intimate grindhouse rocker vibe.

"Affinitour 2.0"

The night started off a little slow waiting in line since I arrived there around 5:00, and no one was really there as of yet since the doors only opened at 7:00. Luckily I had a spot secured in line so I could be at the front. I met a couple of people who we're really friendly and were excited to see Haken and Thank You Scientist. There were also a few people from the Facebook group Prog Snob that recognized me, which I find was pretty cool.

Presented by Blue Skies Turn Black

On a muggy Wednesday night in August, C H R I S T and Boris played a sold out show at Bar Le Ritz PDB to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Boris' classic album, Pink.