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Slaughter Beach, Dog’s (“SBD”) sold-out show at Le Ministère was both cozy and intimate. Instead of touring with the usual ensemble, SBD’s North American solo tour was led by none other than Jake Ewald. As one of the founding members of Modern Baseball, Jake is no stranger to the indie-rock genre. In fact, his past work with Modern Baseball and his current solo tour under the SBD banner are indicative of his role in defining the genre throughout the past decade. 

When I first heard MIKE in 2020, I was, as most first-time listeners are, surprised. At first glance, MIKE seems to be not much more than your average abstract hip-hop artist. Slurred bars laid over disjointed, chopped-up soul samples fill most of the rappers' tracks, but after a few minutes, it seems to transform. MIKE’s flows seem almost spiritual like he is nonchalantly tapping into a higher power to put any listener into some sort of jazz-rap trance. There is a friendliness buried in the soul chops and introspective bars, like a warm hug from someone you've known since childhood. With all this, it's easy to see how MIKE has hugely influenced the hip-hop scene.

The Allah-Las, alongside their opener Maston - who is also their keyboardist - brought over some soothing and nostalgic sounds to a receptive crowd at the Beanfield Theatre. On a chilly Monday night in Montreal, the audience immersed themselves into the Californian psychedelic rock band’s one-hour set. A musical oasis for those who have been lucky enough to stumble upon them, the Allah-Las leaves their listeners with a sense of nostalgia for a time and place most have never experienced, but long for through the band’s music.

The last time Oneohtrix Point Never played a show in Montreal was 2018. Suffice to say, a lot has changed since then.