“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.”

On September 10th, 2024, Birds in Row made their third cross-continental journey to Montreal, all the way from Laval. Laval, France, that is. Exploding onto France’s Hardcore Punk scene with their debut album You, Me and The Violence in 2012, they’ve evolved to a more atmospheric sound with noise-rock and 90s alt-rock influences over the course of two more albums and a handful of EPs.

If anything can foretell how good a show will be, it's the empty stage of the Beanfield. Covered in a truly surprising amount of instruments for a five-man band, red light glistens off drums, bass, three guitars, and an array of keyboards and wind instruments.

It’s always funny how depending on what day you see a concert, it can add a whole new dimension and energy to a show. We all know the woes of dragging yourself out to a Monday or Tuesday night show, and the enthusiasm and rejuvenation that a Friday night show could bring. So what about a Sunday show? And on top of that, a Sunday show in the middle of the last long weekend of summer?

On an unseasonably chilly and wet Saturday evening, a dedicated fan base turned out to the Okay Kaya show at the Fairmount Theatre. Damp umbrellas dotted the crowd that was composed of fans old and young, loud and quiet, yet all were, much like Okay Kaya herself, oozing cool fluidity.