An Event Showcase of Grrls Groove, an All-Female Artist Music Night in Support of the Chez Doris Women's Shelter (Photo Gallery)

October 31 2019 // Robert Portnoff // Magazine // Concert Reviews

An all-star lineup of Montreal female music artists gathered together to raise money for Chez Doris, a women’s shelter here in Montreal, at Casa Del Popolo on October 10th. Flying under the banner of Grrls Groove, the evening was hosted by famed CBC broadcaster Emily Brass and CJLO’s own Krystal St. John. Also in the house providing some great beats were CJLO DJs SugarFace Nene and Lady Oracle.

It was a busy night with many acts entertaining the packed room. Getting the evening started was a mesmerizing and operatic performance by Samling Productions. Next up was a solo artist that goes by the name Sattelites. She performed a trio of gritty heartfelt songs titled “Love and Disaster”, “We Got Lost”, and “Take Me”.

One of the many themes running throughout evening surrounded the struggles facing women in the male-dominated music industry. Natasha Marie’s song “The Warden” was a prime example of this. Despite her lyrical themes staying focused on gender issues, in just a few songs she crossed many musical genres from pop, gospel, and hip-hop.

Bringing some soul and R&B to the evening were the laid-back grooves of Lorelai Lahiri. Following this, Thea Cruz had the audience singing backup to her song “Stand” with the house chanting, “We’re gonna bring the storm” on repeat.

All of the above was just the first half of the evening. Even though it was an evening for the ladies, there was one man who played a very important role in getting the show off the ground and that was Mike Vo. During the show’s halftime, he held a brief trivia contest that came down to the wire with both leading contestants ending in a first-place tie, proving that everyone was a winner at this edition of Grrls Groove.

Sophie Chen kicked off the second half of the evening. Her set was a more personal approach to songcraft. One number was a love song for millennials and another, a tribute to her father who recently passed away. Taking things up a notch was hip-hop artist Talia and her in-your-face attitude with songs like “I Am Legend” and "Ain’t We Above It” which gave the evening a bit of edge.

Bringing some island warmth to a Montreal autumn evening was Odreii with her Jamaican influenced song titled “Link Up”. Closing out a full evening of Montreal’s finest female musicians (with the help of a few good men backing them up) was rocker Tatum Quinn. She started out with an original song titled “Set You Straight” of which she paired her wailing vocals against the screeching guitar of Robbie Greenfield. Her second song was a tribute to a friend battling cancer with “Really Not There”. Then, she treated the audience to a new song, just the second time played live, called “Mr. Mystery”. Nothing is better to close out a night of music than a good old-fashioned blowout and that was provided by her rousing rendition of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.”

There was a very good turnout for the event and without a doubt this edition of Grrls Groove was a resounding success. The evening raised money for an important cause that being the Chez Doris women's shelter, with fifty percent of the proceeds going towards the woman’s shelter. It was also a success in showcasing some of Montreal’s most talented female artists.

Here are a few photos from the night.

CJLO DJ Sugarface Nene opens the Grrls Groove night.