Magazine

If anything can foretell how good a show will be, it's the empty stage of the Beanfield. Covered in a truly surprising amount of instruments for a five-man band, red light glistens off drums, bass, three guitars, and an array of keyboards and wind instruments.

On an unseasonably chilly and wet Saturday evening, a dedicated fan base turned out to the Okay Kaya show at the Fairmount Theatre. Damp umbrellas dotted the crowd that was composed of fans old and young, loud and quiet, yet all were, much like Okay Kaya herself, oozing cool fluidity. 

The last day of August, Saturday, August 31st, was rainy. The perfect weather for a Cigarettes After Sex concert, especially one that will start off the American pop band’s X’s World Tour. The Centre Bell was filled with smog. Thick clouds billowed in every staircase. Perhaps it was the mist rising from the audiences’ wet clothes, or the workers were testing the smoke machines before the show, but it turned the arena into the setting of a gothic novel. 

Matt Shultz's broken leg didn’t stop Cage the Elephant from rocking out. 

The American rock band stopped in Montreal on August 26th for their Neon Pill tour, dedicated to their sixth studio album which was released in May of this year.

There was a diverse mix of opening acts. Starting the night with Willow Avalon self-described through her music and merch as a “Southern belle raising hell”. Her set brought me closer to becoming a country music fan. She sang many unreleased songs, like “Homewrecker”, which I’ll definitely download once released.