Osheaga 2011 - Day 1

Flash forward to Saturday afternoon (Osheaga, Day 2) at Parc Jean Drapeau. DFA 1979 drummer/vocalist Sebastien Grainger paused between songs, and asked the crowd an important question: “Does Eminem still hate his mom?”

The answer: Yes.

Eminem’s first Montreal show in over a decade brought in upwards of 47000 delirious fans. For the first time since its inception, Osheaga was extended an extra day, with Friday’s audience consisting primarily of rabid Eminem fans.

“How many of y’all have beef with your parents?” he asked before settling in to the tender, beef-y ballad “Kill You.” Eminem’s shtick never gets old, and most everyone in attendance were over the moon with his greatest hits/recovery set. Though having him on the Osheaga bill was a huge deal to the organizers, one might think that Eminem could’ve/should’ve had his own show from the get go. With such a diverse lineup of genres, Eminem (and his reportedly 2 million dollar price-tag) stuck out like a sore thumb. Maybe we can expect Madonna or Metallica to headline within a few years…

His presence virtually dwarfed any and all bands playing that day, and the general aura surrounding Ile St-Helene was rather... odd. Despite several obvious lip-sync moments throughout the night, and embarrassing onstage banter, it was still a very impressive spectacle from one of the biggest musicians dating back to “The Napster Years”. Having seen dozens of big ticket shows at this venue, this one’s attendance is up there with that of Metallica’s, Radiohead’s and Coldplay's.

One might remember the last time he took the stage at Parc Jean Drapeau twelve years ago; he was greeted by a chorus of boos and beer bottles from punks at the 1999 Warped tour. Thankfully, most of them didn’t show up this time; the 100$ price-tag was a little high.

In case you’re wondering, Friday’s lineup boasted other fine acts, though the oodles of Eminem fans appeared puzzled and impatient throughout most of them. With Kid Cudi dropping out at the last minute, Kid Koala started the day off early with an enjoyable DJ set. By the end, he had much of the audience fist-pumping to “Killing in the Name." It was a funny sight to see 10 guys with backwards caps and the same Eminem shirt are singing along to the memorable chorus…

I hadn’t heard of “The Screaming Eagle of Soul” until that day, but Daptone Records’ Charles Bradley lived up to his nickname in every possible way. Reminiscent of James Brown, with Otis Redding’s heartfelt hollering, Bradley caught festivalgoers off-guard (in a good way) as he was absolutely thrilling to behold. A soulful version of Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” sealed the deal late in the set.

Broken Social Scene followed with 45 minutes of much-needed indie rock euphoria, while the Rural Alberta Advantage was melting hearts down by the smaller stages. Bran Van 3000 followed with a lengthy set of material unknown to the casual listener, until singles “Astounded” and “Drinking in LA” woke up a rather indifferent crowd. Though they were entertaining, they were unable to really connect with the swarm of Shady fans making their way to the venue.

The best act of the day hands down, belonged to R&B newcomer Janelle Monae. Her live show was a wonder to witness. It was like seeing Lauryn Hill, Prince & David Bowie all rolled into one (a lazy comparison, but it’s accurate). She and her large backing band dressed in matching black & white had the crowd dancing up a storm to songs from her only LP, The ArchAndroid. “Tightrope” and “Locked Inside” were personal favourites, while a blissful cover of Jackson 5’s “Want you Back” went over extremely well with an audience in full party mode. With her eccentric personality and style to match, you can bet she got the most “Non-M&M” attention on day one. Let’s hope she comes back soon.

Things went back to normal on Saturday…

-Mike B hosts The Lonesome Strangers every Tuesday from 8-10pm