Alfa Rococo @ La Tulipe

Heading out to see Alfa Rococo on April 29th at La Tulipe was an experience that was - as my friend described it - “quintessentially French." Striped shirts and glasses that begged the question “do you have a prescription for that?” were out in full force. However, there were also pockets of people that are normally under-represented at concert: children and older folk. It was actually quite endearing to see the concert as a gathering of music lovers of all ages. However, the music itself left me with mixed feelings.

Before I get into the full swing of my critique, I want to preface the negative by saying that this was not a bad show. I had a good time, and were it not for the input of a friend this show might have walked away with an A- in my books. That would have been based on fact that I was reviewing the show and not the band. However, as my friend put it “the music is the show”. If I am to give my full opinion on the show, I need to include the critique of the band that I feel is holding this act back from being truly entertaining.

Let's start with the opening band, Cecile Hercule. She was the perfect act to precede Alfa Rococo; it really illuminated the differences between France French and French Canadian music. Her set consisted of really solid French folk tunes; she even played a melodica (let me save you the trip to Google; it's that funny keyboard with a blow tube thing that usually only turns up in the Frenchy-est of music)! The crowd seemed to really appreciate her, and she even managed to get people laughing with a few jokes she made that ribbed Quebec. It was cute, and was the perfect set-up for Alfa Rococo's energetic pop entrance.

Once the main act was on the stage, people were really moving. The group got going with "Météore," which is undoubtedly one of their more popular songs. The band's energy was impressive. Nobody took a breather, and they were dancing and getting people on their feet for the entirety of their show. They looked good, they sounded good, and they interacted well with their audience. What I like about this group is that the pop stylings feel very North American, but there are also influences of French Canadian and traditional French music that give it a sound that is very unique to Montreal (aside from the French Canadian lyrics, of course). I was really feeling it as they moved forward into songs like "Lever l'Ancre," and "Chasser Le Malheur;" I think I've had "Chasser Le Malheur" stuck in my head ever since.

Sadly though, I have some hangups I must talk about. As I mentioned before, if I was reviewing this show simply on the merit of the showmanship, this concert would have been a success in my eyes. What sours it however, is that when you see Alfa Rococo, especially if you're like me and you only know the songs you've heard in stores and on the radio, you'll be disappointed to see that what you've heard is about as deep as the well goes. There's really very little to distinguish one song from another, and after about a half hour goes by you'll sadly find that, while you really want to love this adorable duo, you've just grown insidiously bored. I hate to say it, but it feels like you're watching Metric without the edge. I like this band, and I think that if you're a diehard fan this show will not disappoint, considering that Alfa Rococo has the energy and the showmanship to keep you in your seat. However, if they want to win over what I can only presume is a considerable group sitting on the fence, this band needs to take some risks and push for depth in what is already some catchy and solid music.

-Joshua K hosts The Chesterfield Hour on Fridays from 11am-12pm