Magazine

Every now and again, a performer stops through Montreal bringing not just a prowess and artistry that impresses, but a living, embodied history. On Sunday, September 29th at the Rialto Theatre, POP Montreal offered one such show. Mavis Staples - a woman who worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King alongside her father and sisters as part of The Staples Singers, sang in President Obama’s White House and has collaborated with everyone from Bob Dylan to Hozier - graced the Montreal audience with the divine power of gospel, soul, and blues.

The night at The Diving Bell Social Club was set to be a big deal, it was Montreal’s very own Look Vibrant’s last show during the POP Montreal International Music Festival. A funky weird strange and transformative band that was constantly changing its skin, released their new album, Cherish Everything; a cumulative album of all the human stories and souls that inspired the band members. While this was Look Vibrant’s last show, they promised to be back with new music in the future.

Sitting in the back of the room in Montreal’s Bar Le “Ritz” PDB, I got the perfect picture: a crowd full of hipsters, multi-colour lights swirling, and five musicians performing in perfect tandem. Accompanying them was a projection which included collages containing images of, for one, their Samoyed altered by psychedelic visual effects. 

A Guerilla Toss show is more of a ritual than a performance. The band wants you to party and dance, but they make sure you listen to the broader message. Lead singer and violinist Kassie Carlson uses her love of poetry and literature to compose lyrics that tackle serious topics such as depression and mental health.