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After weeks and weeks of playing songs of his latest LP At What Cost, and falling in love with GoldLink's unique sound, I came to expect not a show, but a house party from the D.C rapper. Luckily for me and the sold-out crowd at L’Astral, he came through.

Naturally, it wouldn’t be a house party without a few friends coming along for the ride. Masego came through as the opener with enough energy to single-handedly power the entire building. To make things even more interesting, he not only played the saxophone while his instrumentals played in the background, but he even brought his keyboard and beat machine on stage and recreated a few beats from scratch. Masego wasted no opportunity to dedicate his set to the ladies in attendance. He had his DJ play some of his favorite slow jams, making us all miss the early 2000s in the process. He danced and sang along to songs like “Slow Motion” by Juvenile, or “Glamorous” by Fergie. Masego even paid homage to the King of Pop by performing his best impersonation of Michael Jackson, and yes, the “Thriller” jacket came out.

By the time Masego got of the stage, everyone was ready for the man of the hour to hit the stage. GoldLink came out to “Hands on Your Knees,” a song that embodies the party vibe GoldLink captures in his music and is possibly the greatest intro he could ever use. He started off his set with “Dark Skin Women,” “Some Girl,” and “Rough Soul,” solidifying the notion that the show was very much dedicated to women. “Spectrum” was followed by “Meditation,” a record that will forever preserve the love GoldLink will receive from the Montreal crowd as it was produced by hometown hero Kaytranada.

Halfway through his set, I came to an important realization: more people were dancing rather than holding their phones up towards the stage. That simple fact is proof that the 24-year-old was successful in creating the house party vibe I was expecting. GoldLink took it step further by playing some of his favorite songs as well. Usher’s “You Ain’t Gotta Call” had everyone feeling nostalgic, while Waka Flocka's “Grove St. Party” got people dancing again. He followed the club banger with his own track, “We Will Never Die,” reminding everyone how aggressive his songs can be. He didn’t stick to that sound for long however, as he followed it up with “Her Side Story” and “Late Night,” bringing Mesago out again in the process.

Of course, GoldLink could not leave the building without playing his biggest record ever. “Crew” was played not once, but twice. The rapper went on to explain that Kaytranada was supposed to be in attendance, but was unfortunately in Miami. Regardless, I speak for everyone when I say GoldLink put on a an excellent show, worthy of the thunderous round of applause he received as he departed.

Image credit: Billboard.

Hosted by Patricia Petit Liang

Stories by Rebecca Chant, Allison O'Reilly and Patricia Petit Liang

Produced by Patricia Petit Liang

"If you ever had to take shit for being a Hanson fan, this is for you."

Some people will be surprised to find my name in this byline, but while I've been a passionate metal fan for a very long time, over my life I have listened to a wide variety of music, amongst which is the Oklahoma sibling trio Hanson. When I saw that they were coming to town, celebrating 25 years as a band, and 20 years since the release of Middle of Nowhere, the album that spawned the polarizing global hit “MMMBop”, I knew I had to review the show. After all, I was celebrating an anniversary of my own: it had been 20 years since I first saw them live, at an appearance at Musique Plus. I had gone alone, waiting in line outside surrounded by screaming, crying preteen girls. None of my friends had been interested in coming, so when I was among those picked to go inside, meet the band, and see the performance up close, I had no one to celebrate with. 

Now, 20 years later, I found myself waiting in line outside the Corona Theatre, alone again. The people around me, primarily clusters of women in their early 30s, were buzzing about the show being sold out. Capacity at Corona is 900+ people, and the venue was full. Choosing to forego an opener in favor of a full two hour set that would span their career, Hanson, along with Dimitrius Collins on keys and guitar, and Andrew Perusi on bass, took the stage to the familiar female screams that have followed them for over 20 years. With six albums of material to pull from, they opened with a couple of songs from their more recent albums, before digging back to the beginning with their second single from their first record, “Where’s the Love?”. While I was expecting to see a stronger audience response to their earliest music, the audience was just as enthused and familiar with songs from across their output.

It's notable that Hanson are in a mature phase of their career, with an established fan base that's growing along with them. On average, bands first strike it big in their mid to late 20s. This stage of a music career, with its seasoned confidence, deep catalogue of songs, and die hard fans, usually hits musicians in their 40s and 50s, not their early 30s. Seeing Hanson now is paradoxical, in a way. With their good looks, tight jeans and hip haircuts, they look like any other young, contemporary rock outfit, but there is an undeniable maturity to their on stage personas. Perhaps it's that, despite their average age of 34, the full dozen children they have between them have given them a certain dad-like mellowness. Or, more likely, it's that Hanson has always been a bit of a paradox. 

While their blond, California surfer boy aesthetic helped propel them up the charts in 1997, “MMMBop”, along with the other songs on Middle of Nowhere, references a musical vocabulary far richer than their ages and early marketing would have one believe. Skillfully blending elements of funk, blues and soul into bright, catchy pop songs is out of reach of most, and yet here were three young teens doing exactly that. Hanson have written, or co-written, all their songs since the very beginning, and have navigated an often perilous industry on their own independent label for over 15 years. They continue to sell out venues whenever they play, and have a dedicated online fan base whose paid subscriptions directly support the band. This second act of their career shows no sign of slowing down, and is a huge testament to their musicianship.

Live, their ease with their instruments is clear. While Isaac, wearing an outfit fitting of the Man in Black, Johnny Cash, held fast on guitars, Zac on drums and Taylor on keyboards would occasionally switch seats, each singing backups while drumming. Over the course of the set, Taylor played organ and congas as well, and Zac occasionally left his kit to join the brothers for more stripped down, acapella interpretations. I was surprised when, on “I Don’t Want To Go Home”, Zac took lead vocals and unleashed an incredibly powerful voice on a song that is poised for mainstream radio. The surprises kept coming all night, with a covers medley including Spencer Davis Group’s “I’m a Man” and “Gimme Some Lovin’”, as well as a beautiful rendition of the late Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers”. 

One doesn’t need to be a Hanson fan to appreciate their sound, which has more in common with Motown and other famous bands of brothers like the Bee Gees and the Jackson 5, than with the boy bands they’ve previously been lumped in with. But for those who, in Taylor Hanson’s words, might have taken shit for it in the past, twenty five years on, being a fan is easier than ever. Oh, and yes, they played “MMMBop”, and it was great.

--Hear Angelica on the airwaves every Wednesday from 7 to 9 PM on BVST, the best (and worst) rock 'n' roll, country, punk, and metal, from right here and around the world.

The bi-annual Next Music from Tokyo tour is back to rock Canada to its core for its 11th edition! Organized by the generous Steve Tanaka out of his own pockets and love for the Japanese indie scene, the Next Music from Tokyo tour features five bands from all over Japan guaranteed to give you the wildest show in Canada.

There will be two Montreal shows, one on Sunday October 8 and the other on Monday October 9, both happening at Divan Orange with doors opening at 7:00 PM and the show starting at 8:00 PM. For tickets and more information, visit the Facebook event pages linked above or nextmusicfromtokyo.com

Tune in to Fukubukuro on Sunday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM with host Lawrell for a preview of the bands and more details about the tour!

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Next Music from Tokyo volume 11 will feature the bands JYOCHO, Nuito, o’summer vacation, Gozen Sanji to Taikutsu, idol group Koutei Camera Girl Drei, and ame to kanmuri joining as the first ever DJ to play in this tour’s history. From math rock, to noise rock, to hip-hop idols, to lo-fi house, this edition truly has something for everyone.