Palomosa 2024 Review - Ashes To Ashes

Bad luck doesn’t begin to describe what hit the organizers of the Palomosa Festival.

First the emails to ticket holders telling then they could bring a +1 for free. Then the wave of discount ticket prices in bulk for McGill students. And finally the forecast of heavy rain for the second of the festival’s two days.

But worst of all, Kali Uchis, the coup of a headliner Palomosa got for its second day, pulled out only a few days before the festival commenced, with little to suggest that it was due to anything other than low ticket sales.

For even a well-oiled machine like Osheaga, this wouldn’t be ideal. For a festival putting on its first-ever edition, it could be fatal.

To be fair, Palomosa isn’t entirely new. It’s a successor to MEG - Montreal Electronic Groove, which ran every year since 1999 before the COVID-19 pandemic laid waste to it like it did so many parts of the arts and culture industry. Its promoters, veterans of the industry, are also responsible for Igloofest and Piknic Électronik.

Even with the rebranding, Palomosa shares with MEG the objective of gathering a constellation of artists united under “groove.” The organizers hoped the festival could become a back-to-school fixture for the post-secondary crowd, as MEG was for many years.

So, did it work?

I decided to judge Palomosa, taking place at Parc Jean-Drapeau, based on what its promoters said how to approach the festival, with “a state of mind of discovery.”

With that perspective, Palomosa was pretty successful!

On both days the festival was held - September 6 and 7 - I discovered emerging artists, veterans, and an insight about festival audiences.

Both days kicked off with local artists who deserve a closer listen. Day 1 started off with a bang thanks to distraction4ever. They certainly didn’t possess “groove” in the traditional sense, but their spiky post-punk pop brought plenty of energy despite the early timeslot.

I missed Day 2 opener Delachute, but having listened ahead of time to his greyscale pop, which I discovered thanks to his placement on the festival bill, the artist was perfect for the absolute downpour that was to set the scene for the day.

Palomosa’s, shall we say, interesting definition of groove continued with American singer-songwriter underscores, who performed on day 1. April Harper Grey’s project is a compelling mix of beabadoobee-esque grunge pop mixed with overdriven hyperpop and club beats. She’s really one to watch - based on the positive reaction to her from the crowd, either plenty of people already knew her, or they were vibing with a brand new fave.

In fact, a lot of the “groove” part of Palomosa was reserved for the numerous DJs doing sets at the misnamed du Jardin stage (it was located on the concrete concourse that hosts food trucks during Osheaga, and it was there that the low ticket sales became most visible).

I didn’t catch many acts there, but a fun discovery was German equine lover Horsegiirl. She played a terrifically high-energy set that weaved in remixes of modern club classics (“Yeah!,” “My Neck, My Back [Lick It],” “Rush”). Only the most sneeze and tear-provoking allergic reaction I’ve ever had kept me from staying longer at her set.

Another great DJ set, though on the main stage of Palomosa, came from electronic artist Yaeji. She suggested the audience "imagine like it's a backyard dance party,” though her set seemed better fitted for the backyard of the Berghain than any backyard I know.

Yaeji’s set was almost completely devoid of her own music - including anything from her acclaimed 2023 album With a Hammer - until she played new single “booboo” at the climax of the set. Even though it's only a few weeks old, it was the track that got the initially indifferent crowd most amped up and on her side.

Yaeji’s been a veteran of the electronic scene for nearly 10 years, and it was another veteran act that served as a bittersweet discovery for me. Montreal duo Pelada mix aggro political raps with harsh yet melodic production, and they played on day 2 as the rain was still relatively light.

Frontperson Chris Vargas admitted "I know not many of you know who the fuck we are,” before letting the audience know their set would be the duo’s last show after 10 years together. It’s a reminder that discovery of great art doesn’t consist exclusively of whatever’s most buzzed about currently online.

But speaking of buzz, Harrison Patrick Smith has plenty of it to go around. As indie sleaze revivalist The Dare, Smith gained significant exposure for his work with queen of summer 2024 Charli XCX, on her song “Guess” and its subsequent remix featuring Billie Eilish. Performing at Palomosa the day after his album What’s Wrong with New York came out, Smith proved he wasn’t as blasé as his image suggests.

Correctly noting that it was “a bit early to sing some of these [songs]" - his music is better suited to a dingy sweat-soaked club - Smith brought his bangers to life for a crowd that was very clearly there to see him (there were at least a few The Dare cosplayers dressed in his trademark black suit, white shirt, and skinny tie). Festival-goers were shouting along and bouncing around to hits like “Girls” even with the rain becoming increasingly Biblical.

I know I’ve mentioned multiple times the rain that added further insult to injury to Palomosa on its second day - proof that perhaps the festival’s inaugural edition was truly cursed. Unlike Shirley Manson, I’m never happy when it rains - I’m the person who runs as fast as possible to get out of the rain! - but the downpour made me appreciate its power to bring people together.

Only the truly dedicated come out when it's all wet and muddy outside; Glastonbury crowds know a thing or two about this, and the same was true of those brave enough to catch artists on day 2 of Palamosa, who didn’t let some torrential rain stop them from enjoying the “groove.”

I’m not a marketing specialist, so I won’t advise Palomosa on how to boost ticket sales next year - though charging Osheaga prices for not Osheaga isn’t a great start, especially for Montrealers already tapped out financially by all the other cultural events taking place earlier in the summer - but the festival succeeded in bringing that feeling of discovery it touted as its primary goal.

See you at Palomosa 2025?

Photos courtesy of Fabio Zaccagnini

Alex Viger-Collins is the host of Ashes to Ashes, your home for modern pop in all its forms, every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.