Magazine

When January 20th, 2017 was selected as the release date for Austra’s third album, Future Politics, the group did not have in mind that they would be sharing it with the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Regardless of the outcome of the U.S. election, Katie Stelmanis, Austra’s principal songwriter and overall mastermind, wrote the album as both a rejection of worldwide trends occurring in the past several years and as a possible way forward from here on out.

January 31st, 2017 was already going to be an eventful day before it was announced that, prior to the Neal Morse show that night, Mike Portnoy would be doing a meet and greet at Steve's Music Store on St. Antoine. I have been following Dream Theater since I discovered the Six Degrees of Inner Turbulene album and got hooked by the song “The Glass Prison”, which blew my mind completely. I finally got the meet Mike Portney, the man behind the giant kit.

As I understand, last night’s performance was meant to be held at l’Escogriffe, but since it is currently under renovation, the event was moved to Le Cactus, a small showroom next door . Great little spot. Supposedly doubling as a dance studio, the venue’s side wall is lined entirely with full-sized mirrors, perfectly suitable for the disco ball and lasers bouncing all over the room. Unfortunately, not nearly enough people made it to last night’s performance, but this does not at all take from the music. The bands were great.

January 12, 2017