Taverne Tour 2024 Day 2: Intimate Shows Across Genres

On day two Taverne Tour 2024, Montreal’s Plateau neighbourhood was packed with concerts to attend. With acts like TEKE::TEKE, Yves Jarvis, Family Man, Janette King, and more running February 9th, the city’s music fans were out and about Friday night catching a myriad of shows. 

CJLO staff were out on the town for the second day of the festival, seeing just some of the shows Taverne Tour had to offer.  

Among the varied lineup of Taverne Tour that can go from hardcore to hip hop, the festival offers intimate performances for folk fans as well. If you happened to be browsing for records at the Plateau’s Aux 33 Tours on Friday night, you were lucky enough to stumble upon a free concert by Yves Jarvis put on by the festival. 

As the lights went down towards the back of the store, we could see a very humble setup from the eclectic performer. Just him, a classical guitar, 

and a little food stand where we could see the artist donning slippers on his tapping feet. Jarvis, known for his atmospheric and dense production, offered a different interpretation of his songs, perhaps as they were originally written, and gave us an insight to his skill as a writer and player. The frequent changes and lack of formal structure in his playing gave nods to influence from the great complex folk artists such as Joni Mitchell. One of the most fascinating moments was his performance of “Bootstrap Jubilee,” a prominent single and a fan favourite. Again, by removing the production elements of the track the audience was reintroduced to a song they thought they knew, but now understand much greater. Much like a meaningful conversation with a friend. 

Such a unique experience and a treat for longtime fans, Yves Jarvis’ performance was a true demonstration of artistry and authentic expression done simply with a voice and a guitar.

- Lisa: Music Director and host of The Last Stop
 

Day two of Taverne Tour featured a co-presentation from Montreal music magazine Also Cool at venue Casa del Popolo. I was only able to catch one act during this performance, but in the end, I’m glad that one happened to be local electro-pop music producer Lola 1:2. As she walked onto the stage, you could sense her nervous excitement. Admitting to being a bit anxious about the show, Lola 1:2 was immediately endearing, as she set up her laptop on a stool, hair partially covering her face. She manually picked every track she played off of her computer, singing along with a wired mic, and dancing across Casa’s small stage. While playing her songs, Lola 1:2 had a strong command of the audience, with her dreamy vocals and danceable pop tunes, which played as a funny counter to her more shy presence in the silences between tracks. Yet, the audience was right in her grasp, as a few groups of younger attendees stood right at the lip of the stage, dancing feverishly to every song. After what was supposed to be her final song, the audience clapped and yelled for an encore, atypical for a festival set, and Lola 1:2 obliged, playing her track “Always I dare.” 

While only having one song released to the public, it was apparent from this Taverne Tour showing that Lola 1:2 made a lot of new fans that night at Casa del Popolo. 

- Aviva: Magazine Editor and host of The Alley

Day two of Taverne Tour fell on a suspiciously warm February night. Even if it was blizzarding, nothing would stop me from heading to La Sala Rossa to see Feeling Figures, DANA, and Sweeping Promises. I wasn’t the only one thinking this, as I was heading into the venue, you could see Saint-Laurent was buzzing from Taverne Tour shows taking place all over.

By the time I got to Sala, Feeling Figures were already a few songs into their set and the venue was packed. Feeling Figures had released their debut record Migration Magic on both K Records and Perennial Records just a few months prior, and judging by how they performed on this night, they were at the top of their game. The sound in Sala that night was fantastic, and both lead singers Zakary Slax and Kay Moon’s vocals were clear and strong in the mix. The band plowed through songs such as “Don’t Ever Let Me Know” and “Pour Un Instant,” the audience firmly in their grasp. By the time their set was done, everyone in the crowd wanted more, this reviewer included. 

In order to satiate our thirst for more raucous tunes, Columbus, Ohio’s DANA came out just in time. Right out the gate, the crowd was enamoured by their blend of psych-tinged fast noisy punk. Two things made this band instantly memorable: lead singer Madeline Jackson’s mesmerizing stage presence, and her use of everybody’s favourite early 19th century electronic instrument, the theremin. Never have I seen a theremin used in a punk context quite like this. As the band fell into one of their many noise jams, Jackson made their theremin wail to an inch of its life. By the end of their set, I was exhausted from the intensity, but after two great sets, I was ready to rally for the headliner.

I’ve been a fan of Sweeping Promises since 2020, when they dropped their fantastic debut record, Hunger for a Way Out. They have since followed this up with 2023’s Good Living is Coming For You, and I wondered how these songs would sound live. Would this three-piece match the tightness and intensity found on their two records? Spoiler alert: yes, of course they did, and more. Most impressively, lead singer Lira Mondal’s vocals were spot on, never missing a note, and sounding like an exact duplicate to the album’s recordings. Guitarist Caulfield Schnug’s guitar work was impressive, filling the space and driving the set forward, keeping the audience on our toes. Sweeping Promises played for almost an hour, going through most of their catalogue. Despite the set length, the near-capacity crowd at Sala was begging for more, demanding an encore. Exhausted, but thoroughly satisfied from a full night of pure rock bliss, I used that as my cue to leave.

- Allison: Station Manager and host of Transistor Sister