Nneka + Publish the Quest @ Cabaret du Mile End

-Photo by Jens Boldt

It was an oddly quiet afternoon in Montreal on Saturday, March 24th, which was probably due to the cold crispy weather that had broke the recent heat wave, but for members of the hip-hop community it felt like the calm before the storm. That night we were blessed to have three great acts come to the city: Nneka, Saul Williams and Georgia Anne Muldrow. It would have been virtually impossible for me to make it to all three shows but perfect timing made it possible for me to begin the night with the soulful Nneka and cap off with the eminent Georgia Anne Muldrow. At around 9pm, I strolled down Laurier to meet the girls for our pre-game Fleur de Sel brownie at Juliette et Chocolat and we made our way to Cabaret du Mile-End, the first stop for our mind-blowing night.

I don’t know if many of you have been to the Cabaret du Mile-End before but it’s usually known as a sit-down venue with nice round tables set up everywhere (very much the cabaret type setting), so it was quite exciting that they ditched the tables for this sold out Nneka show. When we walked in, the front of the stage was packed with people swaying to the sounds of Publish the Quest, a 7-piece band from Seattle who fit their style somewhere between ska, reggae, afrobeat, and rock. Their set was enjoyably danceable but not particularly exciting enough for me to pick up their album, even though they were pretty much giving them away. By 9:45 we were all pretty antsy for some Nneka, so I was shamelessly happy when Publish the Quest announced that it was their last track of the night.

After a quick set rearrangement, the small-framed but super powerful Nneka hit the stage strong with "The Uncomfortable Truth." Her voice was absolutely impeccable! I have to mention that Cabaret du Mile-End also has one of the best sound system and some of the best sound technicians in all of Montreal but the praise still lies with Nneka’s camp. I swear it was like listening to a mastered album. Unfortunately her small size made it hard for anyone passed the three front rows to see her, especially since the stage at Cabaret is pretty low. I had to reposition myself a couple of times before finding that perfect side stage area to really see her performance. Once I got there I was amazed and disappointed all at the same time. It was amazing to see how the notes flowed out of her with what seemed like complete ease and how on point her voice control was but I was disappointed to see the monotonous energy she was feeding us. Throughout the set her energy and charisma lifted a bit but it was still far from what I expected. Even in terms of the band, the whole show felt a little too rehearsed and steered from the live Nneka experience I had expected. In between tracks she took some time to talk to the audience and explain some of the meanings behind her tracks; it was a nice opportunity for us to feel out her personality, which she wasn’t physically showcasing. Some of my friends commented that her talk spots were bordering on the preachy side but I feel it fell pretty much in line with her lyrical content. Around 11:30, the official set was over and they went on to do a slew of encores including her famed "Heartbeat," which got quite a reaction from the crowd. By then I had left the front area of the stage and was basing my opinions on what I could hear and not what I could see, and it was amazing. Though I wasn’t fully satiated by Nneka’s performance, I must admit that it finished much better than it started it off.

-MF Gold co-hosts Say Word! with Caity every Wednesday from 3-4pm