Osheaga Festival

This year's Osheaga music festival went off without a hitch.... well, with the exception of a headlining act cancelation, torrential rain and ankle deep mud. This didn’t stop concert goers from flocking to the island however, with Saturday night capping at a whopping 30,000 spectators.  Having Coldplay round out the evening will have that effect.

I first attended Osheaga in its first year, and it was nothing to scoff at. However, mediocre line ups and overlapping schedules always made me think that I would never again pay to stand around waiting for the one or two bands I wanted to see within a lineup of bands that didn’t seem to really fit. This year I was fortunate enough to land a press-pass, and so I gave it another go.

Once again this year, the line up and the schedule were disappointing. With the festival falling after All Points West in New Jersey, the bookings seem to follow those of the festival. However, none of the bands I was hoping to see managed to appear above the border. When Beastie Boys canceled, All Points West landed Jay-Z. Osheaga landed….no one.

In any case, there were some highlights. Saturday saw The Roots, being the typical party band, play an average set but a fun set. I have to salute the kid with the Tuba, who pretty much made their whole performance worth watching.

 Lykke Li was a huge surprise. I’ve enjoyed her album, but found it ordinary. Live however, her band and her stage presence added a whole other dimension to the music that could not be ignored. If her album was anything like it was live, it would have won over so many more dusty hipsters than it already has. Also of note was emerging band The Rural Alberta Advantage who I predict will be the new Canadian band to watch for à la Wintersleep. Coldplay played an impressive set which was to be expected. As commercial as they are I still can’t help but love them and they pulled out all the stops.

Sunday’s heavy hitters included Cursive, Crystal Castles, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Anyone who’s ever been to Jean Drapeau after a heavy downpour knows what kind of state the rain leaves the island in. Cursive’s stage area had become one giant mud puddle, resulting in a hipster muddy dance party. The band played a great set with the mud being a bonus for some. I sat out Crystal Castles having seen them before and having never seen Yeah Yeah Yeahs before.

I’ve always hated The Decemerists. I find their music average at best and their set did nothing to make me think differently. I feel the same way about Arctic Monkeys but couldn’t avoid them as I found myself waiting by the empty stage during in an effort to get a better spot for Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs played a set worthy of a headlining spot. I always wondered if Karen O would be obnoxious on stage but alas she seemed incredibly happy to be there. Filled with energy, the songs off the new album, It’s Blitz came off bigger and better than expected and the old songs were classic and wonderful all at the same time. The set was everything I could have hoped for from that band that you’ve always wanted to see but never had.

And thus Osheaga wasn’t quite a wash—even despite the rain. But I still wouldn’t pay to attend. I’m hoping next year’s line up will change my opinion for the better.