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How Sega Bodega captivated the Mile End on a Wednesday
Salvatore Navarette, known by his stage name Sega Bodega, is a UK-based Irish-Chilean artist making waves globally in the electronic and club music scenes. On Wednesday, October 9th, he ventured over the pond and all the way to mile end for stop number six on his Tears, Tours and Sighs tour, following the release of his third album Dennis. There are some shows you step into knowing what to expect, with musicians that pay homage to familiar sounds and stage sets. This is not the case for Navarette - the musician has strayed away from genre-abiding traditions into a completely new realm, mixing elements of highland, turkish, hyperpop, etc - anything that “stuns and seduces” [Farrell, 2021]. Needless to say, there was an equal mix of pre-show anticipation and curiosity lining the crowd that evening.
As an artist, Navarette loves collaborating with peers in the electronic music scene - icons such as Bjork, Arca, Eartheater, and FKA Twigs. This ethos of collaboration was felt throughout the evening, even the day leading up to the show with him doxing himself to the Montreal Instagram followers by sharing his personal number for people to try their chance at getting on the door. In an attempt to get some friends into the concert (and admittedly, get his attention), I sent a poem to him through the aforementioned Instagram call-out. Navarette stuck to his word and responded quickly, and a few hours later we were all excitedly hopping up the steps up to the Fairmount.
Energy buzzing from the get-go as the opener, local DJ Martyn Bootyspoon, started off mixing club classics to get the people going. But things really started to pick up when the eerie calls of Dennis [the menace] started quietly playing from the speakers - followed by smoke, the anticipatory fog-horn-like intro to “Coma Dennis”, a beat drop, and finally, Sega Bodega; freshly buzzed, clothes thoughtfully distressed, radiating energy that would extend outwards for the length of his one-man performance.
In my brief post-show chat with Navarette, he was quick to pivot the attention away from himself and towards his lighting director, Shaun Murphy, whom he said “creates half the show”. Although I felt that didn’t give himself quite enough credit, I couldn’t argue - the lighting production for the show was truly encompassing, something that made the Fairmount feel less like a space just a few steps off Parc and more like a foreign underground club space, something unearthly and exciting. Bright white lights shone for softer songs, angled in a way that lit Sega Bodega aglow and made the stage look heavenly one moment, contrasted with red hellish intensity the next. The lighting was too editorial to be described as rave-esque, yet too cheeky to be described as solely that. Whatever it is, for an artist whose identity pairs closely with distinctive aesthetics, the mark was matched. Aside from lighting shifts, few things marked the transitions in between songs - the set flowed fluidly with few words spoken. There was a solemn statement of “I hope I never have to write a song like this again” before the performance of “Um Um”, a song which pays respect to the late UK experimental angel SOPHIE, and a collective sing along to “I need Nothing From You”, in which he turned the microphone to his crowd of collaborators for the evening.
Navarette’s physical engagement with the audience was also a big part of the energy of the evening, stepping off the stage and into the crowd at various points, stealing people's phones to take videos on stage, and coming out quickly after the show to say hi. It’s hard to believe this amount of energy came from just one man, who was also spinning for himself on top of doing vocals with the performance. Sure, there are elements to his sound that naturally channel this infatuating sensation - deep bass and hyper-pop-esque beats capturing the physical and mental attention of the crowd. But more than this, it felt like his ethos of connection as an artist was truly felt throughout the show. The crowd left in awe, feeling lucky that the all-encompassing experience that is the music of Sega Bodega be brought to us live - we wish him the best of luck on the rest of the tour and can’t wait to see what’s in store for him.
The Apprentice Film Review
The Apprentice (In Theatres October 11th 2024)
Dir: Alli Abbasi
Starring: Jeremy Strong, Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova
Run Time: 122 min
There is a standard film, mini-series or made-for-television movie about former presidents. This year’s biographical film highlight was about former President Reagan, who is considered and held up as the ideal republican candidate and a god in his own party, by director Sean McNamara. It was good but I feel that it landed with the wrong director, as McNamara holds more of a director's chair of children's films including Bratz or The Even Stevens Movie. I always wondered who would direct the film about the Trump presidency and I only have one answer, Adam Mckay. Even before what we know as the Trump presidency and a candidate with a vendetta to destroy democracy and using the platform to air his own personal grievances, there were the people who made him a real estate mogul. This is where The Apprentice from Director Alli Abbasi comes in, to take a look at 1980’s Donald Trump and his important relationship with Roy Cohen, and others, that would shape him to be the man he is today.
Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) as a real estate man wanted to make a name for himself, and show his father Fred Trump Sr (Martin Donovan) that he can become successful all on his own ambitions. He also had a vision for New York to make it filled with opulent buildings, and that it would get rid of the crime and grime that befell the city in the 80’s, and put New York’s reputation back on the map. The features would be opulent hotels and one of the biggest buildings, according to him, Trump Tower. He was tasked with being the rent collector for his dad’s properties, most tenants had disdain for him and his father. As well, his family faced a barrage of comments from New Yorkers that they were not being fair when it came to renting properties and held discriminatory tactics against African American tenants. Given this barrage of comments, which also included litigations in court, and the fact that Donald wanted to build more, he would need a friend in a high place.
Enter Roy Cohen (Jeremy Strong) lawyer and prosecutor who would take Trump under his wing, and act as a legal friend and fixer. His rules for success in life are attack, attack and attack, admit nothing while denying everything, finally claim victory and never admit defeat. As their relationship continued Trump would get more ambitious with his projects including a casino in Atlantic City, which Cohen did not support because his finances were catching up to him including his debts. Cohen later on would become one of the many victims of the AIDS epidemic, which put a strain on their friendship as Trump no longer wanted to associate with him and kept him at a distance. Cohen would call Trump out on his depravity towards their friendship, Cohen by no means a saint as his AIDS memorial quilt included the words bully, coward and victim.
Another relationship that is discussed in this film is Ivana Trump (Maria Bakalova) his first wife who also acted as a business partner normally from the design standpoint. It can be seen from behind the scenes that Trump had affairs on the side, and there is also a scene in the film that takes personal liberties where Donald forced himself on Ivana against her will. This scene caused a commotion that would lead the Trump Team to unsuccessfully put out a cease and desist order against the film. We see his relationship with his brother Fred Trump JR, where his brother suffered from alcoholism given Trump's strong stance on sobriety from alcohol today. There is a scene around the end of the film where he uses Fred Trump Sr's ailing health and mental capacity to sign documents that were only beneficial to his son Donald and his real estate ambitions.
Director Alli Abbasi sets the tone of the 80s well through the ascetic of the filmmaking looking like a home movie and the soundtrack to put you in the era. Both Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong deliver notable performances that will possibly receive some recognition come award season. At the end of all of this, we can see who made Donald Trump the man he is today and the one word that comes to mind through his relationships and the way he uses them is depravity. It’s the same formula he has been running his presidential campaigns with, his own personal gripes and grievances with a blunt disregard for those he hurts along the way. His vitriol rhetoric has stoked fear and division in the United States of America. Maybe we don’t need a Trump presidency movie and we can move forward to a better future instead of remembering the past.
English Montreal School Board election — chairperson candidates compare platforms
The English Montreal School Board, or EMSB, is in election season, the first since they successfully overturned parts of bill-40, thwarting attempts to abolish English school boards. The EMSB is the largest English school board in Quebec, serving thirty-five thousand students.
On November 3 voters will be able to vote for commissioners in their school districts and vote for chair.
There are two candidates running for chair of the EMSB. The current chairperson Joe Ortona is seeking re-election after four years, and he is being challenged by the President of the English Parents’ Committee Association of Quebec, Katherine Korakakis. CJLO spoke with both candidates about their platforms, English language rights, mental health, and student success rates.
The Lemon Twigs @ Theatre Fairmount
The scariest words a music journalist can hear have to be, “Sorry, you’re not on the list.” Which is how my evening began after walking up the steep stairs from Parc Avenue to the will-call window at Théâtre Fairmount this past Friday night. Frantically texting and emailing anyone who could remedy this situation for me, I spent an anxious twenty minutes before doing what I never like to do, but when dealing with a sold-out show it is sometimes the only thing left to do. “Is there anyone else I could speak with?” I politely asked the woman at the window, not wanting to come off as some middle-aged male Karen, but also not wanting to assume that I was not going to get into this show. Luckily for me, she was able to find someone who could quickly rectify the situation with the most wonderful words a music journalist can hear, “CJLO? I thought you were on the list. Here, I’ll just add you,” and with that, he stamped my wrist and the panic was over.
By the time I made it through the doors, the opener SLUGBUG was already playing and although I was not quite sure what I was looking at, I was intrigued. The first thing that jumped out was the large, spinning wheel of coloured lights at the back of the stage. While I can neither confirm nor deny that this was a kaleidoscopic flux capacitor that was used as a wormhole to travel through time, the music filling the room did sound like it was coming from a place and time in the future - a fusion of electro-punk, folk and prog that heightened the mood in the theatre. The truth is that like all great New York art it feels timeless, like Walt Whitman or Patti Smith. Decked out in black leather pants and a sleeveless t-shirt, Paul D. Millar (aka SLUGBUG) alternated between electric guitar and synths, with some other sampler/keyboard type machine adding sounds and effects to the music. There was also a reel-to-reel tape machine that might have been recording the whole thing, playing some background accompaniment or simply just for decoration. It didn’t matter really because it balanced out the stage wonderfully, whatever it was doing. Announcing songs with intros like, “This song is about computers,” Millar brought a refreshing, unpretentious approach to his music and made for a joyous engagement with the audience, most of whom I assumed were also learning about him for the first time. Before playing his final song, “Boogie Collapse (Lego Breath, Deuxième Tableau)”, Millar decreed that we, “got to boogie while you can,” and boogie we did. Witnessing SLUGBUG was a reminder that it is important to keep an open mind as we move through life and experience new things and it is definitely important to listen to people who come back to share a sample of the future with our primitive minds.
Next up was The Lemon Twigs - the musical project of brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario - and from the moment they walked on stage it was obvious that something special was about to happen. They quickly got into place - with Danny Ayala on bass and Reza Matin on drums - and in a flash, jumped into the opening number, the excellent “My Golden Years”, the first single and lead-off track from 2024’s A Dream Is All We Know. Over the next few songs, the brothers would trade off lead vocal duties and prove why they are the current kings of power pop. Then something truly magical happened, as each member switched to a different instrument, Brian taking the bass from Ayala, who would go to sit behind the electric piano, and Michael giving his guitar to Matin before settling in behind the drum kit, they raised the level of energy in the room with a killer one-two punch of “Any Time Of Day” off 2023’s Everything Harmony and “I Wanna Prove to You” off their 2016 debut album Do Hollywood. The amped-up versions of these crowd favourites had the whole room dancing and singing along, so much so that the floor was bouncing beneath my feet. If there was any doubt that we were experiencing something special, it was eradicated in this moment, and from that point on there was no looking back, The Lemon Twigs had turned it up to 11 and their adoring fans were along for the ride. The banter between songs also revved up, as the brothers joked with and about the crowd, and threw in cheeky comments like, “We found this one in a damp closet, put it on the record player, ripped it off and stole it,” before diving into “They Don’t Know How to Fall in Place” the second single from their latest album.
One of the things that I was most excited about from this show was the cover songs that they would pepper into the set. Having seen some of the covers done at other shows on the tour, like the Rolling Stones’ deep cut “I'd Much Rather Be With the Boys” in Cologne, Germany or “Transparent Day” by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band in Dublin, Ireland, what would we get here in Montréal? Not only would we get an excellent choice cut, but we’d get my favourite kind, a song and a band that I did not know. When Brian donned a harmonica harness I was curious what was coming and then when Michael announced that they were gonna try and do a song by The Choir I got giddy. As they tore through “I Only Did It ‘Cause I Felt So Lonely” by this lost Cleveland, Ohio proto-power pop band, it highlighted just how much The Lemon Twigs are connected with the forebearers of the type of music they create. They would play a handful of other songs from their impressive catalogue as well as a new, unreleased number, “You Are Still My Girl”, before bringing the set to a triumphant conclusion that would “leave us with something to rock and roll to”, as they exploded into the opening riffs of “Rock On (Over and Over)”.
For the encore Brian returned to the stage alone for an acoustic set of “Corner of My Eye”, which became an incredible 580-part harmony sing-along, “If You Give Enough” and “When Winter Comes Around”. The simple stripped-down versions of these songs showed just how stunning Brian’s voice is and how beautiful music bonds people together. After a rousing ovation, Brain invited the rest of the boys back on stage for one more number. Del Shannon’s “Runaway” was the perfect way to end this perfect night. Another great cover, another great sing-along and another reason why this was a night that will not be forgotten any time soon by the people lucky enough to have gotten in.
Student walkout ends with broken windows, tear gas
Monday, October 7, the mostly peaceful student walkout ended in chaos and violence. Police fired tear gas on pro-divestment protesters, as independent students shattered windows of McGill buildings along Pine Avenue.
The walkout began at 1:30pm, students peacefully left classes and McGill and Concordia. Students and faculty marched through the streets demanding their institutions break ties with companies tied to Israel and take a public stance on Israel’s actions in the Middle East.
The event took a turn in the final moments, around 4:00pm when a group of independent student actors began to pick up metal rods from a construction site along pine street and shatter windows of McGill buildings. Most students and protesters began to leave, but almost immediately police fired two tear gas cans into the crowd.
In contrast, earlier in the day, multiple Jewish student groups held a vigil for Israeli victims and hostages killed and kidnapped on October 7 2023.
It’s About the Journey, Not the Destination - The Hotline TNT Experience
The first time I saw Hotline TNT live was last May in Vigo during their European tour. During the bus ride from Portugal to Spain, my friend Amanda and I could not contain our excitement that we were about to see our favorite band perform live in Spain. While there is some novelty behind the idea of travelling long distances to see a band perform live, poor planning and a few misunderstandings led to us nearly missing the entire show. Luckily enough, we made it for half of the last song and the encore. Embarrassed and in shock, Amanda and I could not believe that the concert-goer-experts we thought we were could have messed up this badly. Fortunately enough, we had the chance to chat with Will Anderson - Hotline TNT’s frontman- and reassured us that the band would be touring in North America in the Fall. Still somewhat sad about how the night turned out, Amanda and I ordered beers and sat outside while the band packed their van. Having heard exactly one-and-a-half songs live in a small Spanish bar/venue, Amanda and I decided to see the positive; two best friends travelling together got to meet their favorite band in Spain and had their Fall tour to look forward to.
Nearly five months after the incident, I was more than ready to experience a Hotline TNT concert in its entirety. Carefully planning my commute to the beloved Bar le Ritz P.D.B., I made sure to show up early. The Montreal band Laughing, who recently celebrated the release of their latest album Because It’s True, kicked off the evening to a full house. The Wisconsin band Disq, who has been travelling with Hotline TNT for their Fall tour, further set the mood for the night with their music and seemingly captivated the crowd who danced along throughout their entire set. Of course, it is important to mention the significance behind Hotline TNT’s choice of inviting a Wisconsin band to travel with them throughout the United States and Canada. While Hotline TNT may have formed in New York City, a city that has undoubtedly shaped and defined the arts throughout the decades, Will Anderson considers the band to be one that falls within the cultural and musical boundaries of Wisconsin and Minnesota. For us Canadians, it might be more difficult to understand the nuances regarding the differences between the music scenes throughout the States; however, the emphasis placed on the origins of Disq and Hotline TNT opens the door for listeners to explore the places that have shaped and influenced the sounds of these bands.
Hotline TNT performed an electric show to a crowd of adoring fans. Starting off strong with the song “Protocol” from their latest album Cartwheels, I made sure to enjoy every second of their show, as I had been waiting for this moment for quite some time. Later in the night, the band performed a new song they had been working on, hinting that a third album may be on its way. After the show, you could find Will Anderson behind the merch table, taking the time to chat with fans, further cementing that Hotline TNT is and will continue to be one of my favorite bands. With the critical acclaim of Cartwheels, and with new music on the way, Hotline TNT shows no signs of slowing down.
You can listen to my interview with Will Anderson that aired on September 22 here.
Ceylan is the host of Northern Stagelights, Sundays 1PM-2PM on CJLO
Photos taken by Justin Rix
Here’s What You Might Have Missed At The MAPP Festival
20:00h
On Saturday night, Montreal seems to have been injected with hydrogen. Groups of girls wearing pointy heels half-run, half-shuffle along the sidewalk, late for somebody's pre-game or maybe a house party. They stumble, nearly trip, laugh at their gorgeous, impractical choice in footwear, and then continue running towards the crosswalk.
My husband and I are running too, the fall leaves shoving at our heels, urging us towards the Van Horne Bridge.
We’re on our way to the 9th annual MAPP festival, a combination of food, music and projection mapping which showcases local and international artists. We’re hoping to catch the Digital Block Party at the Van Horne Skate Park before heading to the Closure Party, a final interactive arts and music experience held at the moment factory.
In the distance, we can see a moving graphic that reads “MAPP Montreal” projected on a red brick mid-rise tenement.
At the Digital Block Party, the crowd mainly consists of tired parents on their third or fourth beer sitting dutifully by the skate park where their children climb and tumble over the cement depressions. There are only two projection installations, one of which is a collaborative project in which party guests are encouraged to draw on an iPad. Their designs then become integrated and projected on the underbelly of the bridge. The result is a competing assembly of finger drawings jerking and bouncing off one another. Partygoers seem to be enjoying themselves, gathered in groups around the iPads.
Jumpsource is at the DJ booth playing to a small group of millennials, half nodding, half distracted by the chaotic projections above their head.
My husband wants a beer but I don’t want to wait in the line that extends about halfway into the other art piece projected on the brick wall that houses Nouvelle Établissement. I would have loved to get a better look at it but the line is too dense and doesn't seem to be moving quickly.
Oh well.
We decide to wait it out until the Closure Festival.
23:22h
The Moment Factory is hidden amongst apartment buildings and restaurants long since closed for the day. The open doors of the venue glow invitingly with a few guests sprinkled across the pavement staircase. Its seclusion makes me feel exclusive and I briefly excuse the embarrassing name of the venue.
Inside, we’re greeted by an array of disco balls and smooth reflective globes arranged decoratively around a five-foot zebra statue. The space we have stepped into is decorated with various art projections winding around us like a maze. There are three main sections: the art exhibit/bar, the back patio and the dance floor. People filter throughout, carrying cans of organic non-alcoholic spritzers and craft beers. I’m drawn to the dance floor but I have to watch my step, careful not to disturb anybody’s photo op with the projections or the disco zebra.
On the floor, I am finally given what I was promised, complete immersion in sound and projection. Frankie Teardrop is in front of the table, spinning non-offensive trance-inducing house music. People on the floor dance accordingly, swaying and nodding, leaving a respectful half meter between one another. It’s not my kind of music but I’m able to appreciate it as an atmospheric companion to the beautiful projections on the wall opposite the DJ booth. Lasers flash geometric red and orange neons folding and unfolding around each other like pieces of a puzzle.
When Frankie passes the torch on to the next DJ Esther Côté, the beat seems to be fixed and I’ve seen the entire projection loop twice. A small selection of faithful ravers who seem to be enjoying the set have begun to dance a little harder.
The exhibition area is set up with clusters of conversation pits along the perimeter. The option to dance exists but so does, in a quieter but still central section the ability to talk with friends and meet new people. I insert myself in various conversations and get the sense that the main attraction of the event is the people it attracts and the discussion fostered between close friends, old friends and new acquaintances.
While polishing off my 12$ vodka soda, I meet a couple named Change and Anna and ask about their festival experience.
“I loved the projections [at Van Horn]. They were elevated, used the space to its full capacity,” says Chango before mentioning a friend of his was projecting at the Digital Block Party.
“What about the music?” I ask.
“I would have loved to hear a voice,” he replies earnestly, “I can’t quite connect [to the music].” A perfect synthesis of what I had been feeling all night.
Closing on the DJ booth is the highly anticipated Martyn Bootyspoon. Despite the wavering attendees the dance floor comes alive at his emergence. The space suddenly warrants the label of a rave space, people are bouncing and sticking together with sweat. Bootyspoon embodies the energy that was previously denied, more people have streamed in and the atmosphere is completely transformed.
My husband and I end the night on the dance floor.
Overall
The Digital Block Party suffered from a lack of a clear target audience or sufficient quantities of projection pieces. The real party was at the Closing festival, especially the tail end, where friends gathered to dance and talk while immersed in a display of art and music. What the MAPP festival could benefit from is more artists exhibiting at their events. Montreal artists, I implore you to support exhibits by applying to them! Especially organizations like MAPP which provide plenty of free events and encourage community connections.
The two biggest haters begin their tour in Montreal with only love in their hearts.
Coco and Clair Clair, the bratty alt-pop/rap duo from Atlanta began their Girl tour in Montreal at intimate Le Studio TD. Despite it being a Tuesday night, they were warmly welcomed by a crowded audience of Y2K fashionistas, parasocial relationship-ed young people, and Pitchfork-vibed adult dudes.
Coco and Clair Clair met on Twitter in 2013, they quickly became friends after discovering they both lived in Atlanta suburbs and like to party. They started self-releasing music on Soundcloud in 2015 and organically gained popularity throughout their careers due to their catchy lyrics, scathing insults, and laissez-faire approach to marketing and promotion. Their talented cross between dreamy bedroom pop sound and hard-hitting bad-bitch rap lyrics attract attention from music critics and zillenial listeners alike. In 2017 TeenVogue unconsensually used a song from their first EP P.O.S.H. in an ad campaign; in 2020 their music started getting popular on TikTok without any content made by the artists themselves, despite encouragement from their team. A lyric from my favourite song off their new album Girl ‘Martini’ reflects on the successfulness of their strategy of just being cool and detached on the internet: “If our songs are so shit then why the free clout? No press needed for like five years”.
Girl was released at the end of August, written between long nights of partying in Amsterdam and peaceful relaxation in Joshua Tree; it's a mature and grown-up version of their previous releases. The lyrics are deeper, bringing up insecurities around love and perception, and they surprised each other throughout writing and production by exploring new song structures. The songs are less repetitive, trusting the weight of the lyrics and unique beats to keep the listener captivated rather than repeated choruses to get stuck in one’s head. It pairs incredibly well with Charli XCX’s brat album.
This concert was apparent it was their tour opening night, not due to nervousness, as their stage presence is akin to them hanging out in their bedrooms, but with dealing with complications of details you only learn about once you’re on stage, like uncomfortable new boots and unfamiliar monitor systems. Nevertheless, they performed with ease and comfort, chatting and giggling between songs, commenting on Montreal-viral tweets related to their show, and the scam of the botanical garden’s yearly ‘Gardens of Light’ exhibit. Before each song Clair Clair would introduce it with something along the lines of: “Oh this song is really good”, “oh you’re going to love this next one”, “oh this one is great”, and “This next song is… yeah.” it was very amusing. Clair Clair’s ethereal bedroom vocals were stretched with reverb and Coco’s cuntiest lyrics were screamed with extra curse words, encouraging the audience to quickly change from swaying back and forth to jumping to the beat and yelling out the lyrics. They interacted with the audience quite a bit, asking for requests twice, and lengthening the encore from two to three songs. At the end of their set, they immediately signed set lists and photos for the most dedicated fans. Despite the cunty detached mean girl attitude of their musical personas, they are both down-to-earth nice best friends who are here to have a good time with everyone.
Submerged into Amenra's World
Amenra took over Studio TD on Friday, September 27th, bringing their atmospheric metal sound - at once referred to as “extreme metal”, “post-metal”, and “atmospheric sludge metal” depending on who you ask (and which album you’re looking at), though it’s probably easiest to describe them as blackened post-metal. They’re a band that originated in 1999 from the West Flanders city of Kortjik in Belgium, rising from the ashes of the hardcore punk band Spineless, founded as an outlet for pain by vocalist Colin van Eeckhout when his father died. They’ve brought their punk origins with them, not only the musical influence, but their DIY ethic and commitment to art and collaboration. I was fortunate enough to see them, in what was probably my favourite live show of the year.
The night opened at 8 pm sharp with Blackwater Holylight. Bathed in purple and blue lights, the four-woman lineup captivated the attention of the audience immediately, rendering us all into an appreciative silence. Blackwater Holylight have a sound that is rich with a variety of influences, from occult and psychedelic rock to black metal and stoner doom, you can hear traces of Electric Wizard and Wolves in the Throne Room in their sound and guitar tone. The drums had a soft feeling to them, and the synth was loud in the mix. There was a heaviness to their sound, as they switched between a cleaner and more distorted guitar, as well as having both clean and screamed vocals. It fit the tone of the entire show, with lyrics and a sound that felt deeply personal to the musicians. Guitarist and frontwoman Alison (Sunny) Faris didn’t speak much, except to thank us for our time, and to express gratitude at being able to tour with the other bands.
Next up was Primitive Man. They’re a three-piece, with guitarist/vocalist Ethan Lee McCarthy, bassist Jonathan Campos, and drummer Joe Linden. I can’t refer to any members as the frontman, since they didn’t speak for the entire show. They play slow, sludgy death/doom metal songs, with dissonant black metal-esque chords and blast beats, and deep bassy growls. The entire experience was somber, and refined in atmosphere, with small changes to the guitar and bass strumming adding layers of depth, and drums that sounded incredible over the sound system. I was surprised halfway through when a droney electronic bit started in the middle, combining noise and industrial effects. It was well integrated into the whole of their set, which was accompanied by visuals from a projector, distorted, pixelated, blurry faces in blue and red, both fascinating and horrifying, like the music itself.
Finally, Amenra. It’s hard to put into words the experience of their show. Their first few albums were titled Mass, and their shows are in the same ethos, closer to communion than mere concerts. Their music is indeed powerful, carrying so much emotion and pain that it is crushing in the most cathartic ways. Vocalist Colin van Eeckhout spent most of the show facing away from the crowd, alternating between violent screams and a soft, gentle singing voice. It gave an even more intense experience when he did turn around, his metal grill glinting under the light of the projector, the visuals of which almost obscured the entire band at times. Often in black and white, the projections were distorted shadows of abandoned buildings, beams, and forests, with visuals that reminded me of the film Ivan’s Childhood by Andrei Tarkovsky (an excellent film, btw). Musically, the show was perfected. The speaker system at Studio TD has a very professional sound, and Amenra are experts when it comes to their sound design, with powerful drums and each instrument perfectly fine-tuned; even the hi-hats pan to different sides of the room. During the song Am Kreuz, replacement bassist Amy Barrysmith from the band Year of the Cobra provided backing vocals, and the contrast between her delicate voice and Colin’s scream made the experience all the more impactful. Like everyone else, I was entranced, closing my eyes and submerging into the experience. It resonated with the rest of the show; Amenra’s music isn’t about joy, but collective experiences of pain, with drowning, repetitive riffs, like trying to tread above water in a storm, but not quite managing. Most of the songs are from Mass VI, written during a time when vocalist van Eeckhout’s son was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and when drummer Bjorn Lebon lost his mother to cancer. I didn’t know this going into the show, but I think the feelings were conveyed without needing to know the details. There’s an honesty to their music that makes it relatable, regardless of what one might be going through. To finish the night, Amenra left us with a projected quote: “When all the flowers have fallen, all that shall remain are thorns.”
Grey Day w/ $uicideboy$, Denzel Curry, Pouya, and more
Walking To Place Bell from Montmorency was a cool experience as my hyped built and built and built. A lot of these artists from this lineup I've been a fan of for years, so this was really a cool experience. And the hype did not disappoint. Though I didn't get to see all of EKKSTACY's performance, I overheard him playing his biggest hit "i walk this earth all by myself" as I was walking to my seat.. which was a real treat for me. I got to experience new artists I'd never heard of such as Shakewell & Haarper. I got to see Pouya & Denzel Curry, who have both recently released new music, THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE YOU which dropped on August 16th & Kings of the Mischievous South which dropped on July 19th, respectively. And of course, I got to see $uicideboy$ perform a variety of older, fan-favorite tracks and newer releases off of their new album New World Depression which dropped June 14th.
I heard 2 or 3 tracks from EKKSTACY’s performance and I loved how in sync he was with his guitarist. Sometimes they locked eyes and increased the amount of actual head bobbing which responded well with the crowd. Speaking of, Shakewell and Haarper both put on energetic performances that were great follow-ups and perfect to get the crowd hyped up for the rest of the night.
Pouya had such great stage presence and immaculate flows, often ending in acapella, which showcased just how talented and versatile of a rapper he really is. I personally love his song "Great Influence" which he unfortunately did not play, but that is perfectly okay because this man killed his set. He played tracks from his new album, fan favourites, some hype songs, and many where he got the crowd involved.
Denzel Curry came out with so much energy, it was like an anime that came to life and started levelling up. He performed his classic track "Ultimate" you know.. the one that blew up back in 2015 with the SpongeBob memes. It was like my younger self came back for a bit and we got to share that song for a moment. He also played his song "RICKY" & "CLOUT COBAIN | CLOUT CO13A1N", which was a delightful treat. And of course a bunch of tracks off of his new album.
Then afterwards it was THE headliners of the show … none other than $UICIDEBOY$! They came out, they performed, and they delivered. They played a bunch of classics like "Paris" & "And To Those I Love, Thanks for Sticking Around". I got to hear some songs from my Spotify 2023 Wrapped such as "Not Even Ghosts Are This Empty" & "Finding Shelter in My Larynx", if I could tell my past self I would get to see this song just over a year after it dropped, I'm sure he'd be stoked. They had really cool bright monitors with stunning animated visuals as well as fireworks, fire blasts, and fire bars. You could feel the heat from the stage come in waves.
I was also able to score some nice merch: a hat and a medium T-shirt which I will wear with honour and guard for at least 6 months. I would definitely say that the show was worth going to.
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