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Ciel Noir: A Packed Night of Moody Darkness with Codeine, Duster, Pelada, Model/Actriz and Snow Strippers
Not much can convince me to go out on a Sunday night, let alone out of my immediate neighbourhood, and above that, after I spent the day moving all my belongings to a new apartment. However, this particular late March Sunday promised a truly jam-packed show of slowcore legends, exhilarating DJs, and up-and-coming rock bands. So, trying to ignore my lumbar pain, I headed out for the night to witness Ciel Noir, a one-day festival produced by Blue Skies Turn Black, featuring five acts you’ll likely never see on the same bill again.
Slowcore has been having quite a moment in the past few years. Ciel Noir headliner, Duster, specifically, has seen a massive rise in listenership thanks to their sudden virality on TikTok, where their dreamy and minimal tracks are used as backing for tens of thousands of videos of, well, just about anything. This online fame didn’t come completely out of nowhere, as Duster’s 1998 album Stratosphere has held cult status on Discogs, online music blogs, and ‘niche’ music meme accounts for a few years now. However, the meteoric rise of this over-two-decade-old indie album, which had very little success upon its release, cannot be overstated. The Duster renaissance dovetails with a more general new age of appreciation for dreamy 90s alternative, as shoegaze legends like My Bloody Valentine, and Slowdive are also finding new fans in today’s teenagers through TikTok, and popular current artists such as Slowpulp and Yves Tumor take heavy inspiration from the hazy sound.
The Gen Z love of slowcore was on display at L’Olympia on March 31st. In the minutes leading up to the start of the show, there was a distinct line of separation between the teenagers up against the barricade, clad in their face glitter, platform Doc Martins, and subversive mullet haircuts and the older generation of beanie and funky glasses-wearing Millennials and Gen Xers clutching their overpriced beers. I was somewhere in the middle.
Those who know, know that Codeine was the band to see on Sunday. Veritable pioneers of slowcore, the band tends not to get the recognition of many of their peers, such as Low, Mazzy Star, and, well, Duster. With a heavier and often more experimental sound compared to their slowcore contemporaries, often sharing more similarities with post-rock acts like Slint, Codeine’s music is dark, dreary, and unrelenting.
Codeine’s Stephen Immerwahr (vocals and bass), Chris Brokaw (drums), and John Engle (guitar) entered the stage precisely at 8:00 PM and jumped into their song “D,” the first track off their seminal 1991 album Frigid Stars. Starting with a fan favourite proved successful, as it was evident this Canadian crowd was thankful to finally get their chance to see Codeine live, as Immerwahr mentioned the last time they placed up here was 30 years ago (almost exactly to the day) when they opened for Pavement.
Codeine continued playing through the classics, including “Cigarette Machine” and later, “Loss Leader” from 1994’s The White Birch. Halfway into the set, the band moved into a vignette of songs from Dessau, “Tom,” “Sea,” and “Jr.” As Immerwahr alluded to on stage, Dessau was somewhat of a ‘lost album’ before Numero Group unearthed the recordings for a release in 2022.
While Codeine offered minimal stage banter, Stephen Immerwahr expressed his gratitude to the audience and mentioned that it happened to be his birthday that night. Of course, the crowd erupted in “Happy Birthday” to celebrate the special night, to which Immerwahr thanked everyone, smiling and blushing. Ending off their short, festival-length set, drummer Chris Brokaw came to the front of the stage to take over bass duties from Immerwahr for a climactic rendition of Frigid Stars’ brooding, broken-hearted closer “Pea.”
After a twenty-minute intermission, Duster arrived on stage. A notable push forward occurred in the audience at this point, as crowds of the younger attendees made their way towards the stage, craving a good vantage point for the headliner. Starting with a slightly deeper Stratosphere cut, “The Twins / Romantica,” the audience was immediately exhilarated by Duster’s presence, as this marked the band’s first ever show in Montreal.
The band continued to play mostly from Stratosphere, but included others such as “The Breakup Suite” off of 2000’s Contemporary Movement. Tracks “Inside Out” and “Heading for the Door” appeared to be crowd favourites, as phones lifted into the air and the young audience members around me bobbed and swayed in time.
After a quick “thank you,” the only words uttered by the band, Duster finished their forty-minute set with ‘Echo/Bravo,” one of their louder, heavier tunes. This song worked as a kind of catharsis for the droning, slow set, offering a moment of wild release for attendees, as the three high schoolers behind me started to lightly mosh along to the driving guitars.
L’Olympia cleared out decently after Duster’s set, as was to be expected on a Sunday around 11:00 PM. Yet, the next set picked up the pace with Pelada. This duo of Chris Vargas and Tobias Rochman got their start locally in Montreal’s after-hours rave scene. The act just recently announced their breakup, marking Ciel Noir as likely one of their last shows as a musical duo. Despite this fact looming in the background, Pelada’s high-energy set proved a much-needed change of pace from the start of the night. This experimental Spanish language act somehow both stood out starkly from the rest of the night’s lineup but also wove perfectly into the mood of the festival.
As the night went on, and some concertgoers started shuffling out, likely with school or 9-5’s the next day, the energy of the performers stayed high. New York-based rock outfit Model/Actriz took the stage next with their sexy, dirty, and spooky post-punk sound. Fans of Protomartyr or HMLTD, would enjoy this act, with lead vocalist Cole Haden’s sleazy energy oozing from his every move. At a point in their set, Haden even ventured into the audience, a rare sight in a venue as big as L’Olympia. However, the sheer extravagance of his stage presence sold what may otherwise come off as a gimmick. Model/Actriz’ debut album Dogsbody made quite a splash last year, and it’s reassuring to see the band back up their production chops with a great live performance.
Closing off the one-day festival was Detroit-based dance/hyperpop duo Snow Strippers. The duo played from their mixtapes, not quite singing, but more so dancing and posing over the tracks. As the camera following producer Graham Perez, and the duo’s Instagram presence make clear, this is a very aesthetically-focused musical act. Their 2000’s nostalgic hyperpop sound surely resonated with many of the younger attendees, even as the night was winding down.
Ciel Noir was an ambitious and well-produced showcase. Despite the variety in genres, all the chosen artists flowed into one another, creating a cohesive vibe for the night. The long runtime of the event made me wish this was a weekend-long festival, as I imagine may have been the initial intention. However, simply having two bonafide legends like Duster and Codeine on the same bill is quite the feat, and cemented Ciel Noir as a name to watch for future local bookings. Here’s to the whispers of another installment next year.
Aviva Majerczyk is the magazine editor at CJLO 1690AM. She is also the host of The Alley, a folk-rock show airing Fridays at 11:00 AM.
Truck Violence Signs Off An Explosive Night At Traxide
When you plan to go see a concert you probably follow the usual formula of buying your tickets in advance online, looking up the venue the same day of the event, and pulling up early to save your spot in line. Traxide, however, is not this kind of venue.
Just trying to find out the address for Traxide can prove to be difficult for first-time attendees since, well, there is no address! They function on a strict ”Ask a Punk” basis where the only way of finding the place is by being involved in and knowing others in the community. That might sound like a hassle that many would rather not go through, but I think anyone who stepped foot into Traxide last Saturday to see Truck Violence headlining alongside The Potholes, Empty Nesters, and Jetsam would agree in saying that when it comes to seeing electrifying punk crowds and outstanding up and coming punk and metal acts in Montreal, it doesn’t get much better than Traxide.
The Potholes, who came in as a last-minute addition to the bill, started the night off by offering some fantastic surfy guitar riffs that instantly got the crowd moving and excited. While they definitely stood out compared to their fellow hardcore bands on the card by being a surf rock band, they certainly pulled no punches in their energy, playing some punchy new originals and ending their set with a cover of the classic Mexican folk song “La Bamba”, creating one of the silliest but fun moshes of the night.
Empty Nesters followed suit bringing in a much more raw hardcore sound compared to the usual shoegaze sound that I remembered them having when I had last seen them months prior. They completely shifted the tone for the night with some beefy and driven bass tones that got the whole crowd pumped up with each track feeling effortlessly catchy. Until their very last song, they kept up this relentless energy while not shying away from showing their experimentation by marking off their set with their guitarist even playing his guitar with a violin bow.
Jetsam are slowly cementing themselves as one of my favourite acts in Montreal that I recommend seeing live whenever you get the chance. Being only a 3-piece, It’s honestly fascinating how they’re still able to produce so much noise every single time they hit the stage. From the very first song they came with relentless intensity, echoed by their lead vocalist Jack making sure to include powerful statements in their set regarding social issues such as queer rights and prison abolition in North America, putting themselves at the forefront of showing to everyone what it means to be in the Montreal punk scene and why everyone should be following their example.
The night was to end with headliners Truck Violence who, in the past few months, have been setting the punk scene alight with their heavy sound and energetic presence on stage and luckily for concertgoers they did not disappoint on this expectation they've set for themselves. Their energy showed off some of the best of what Traxide has to offer with huge open moshes and audience members diving into the crowd from the second floor while their vocalist bled his emotions into the mic, delivering punching vocals reminiscent of a Show Me the Body show. Their set concluded with the band members, and even some concertgoers, jumping into the drumset, capping off another huge performance ahead of their sophomore album releasing within the next month.
Arlo Parks at Théâtre Beanfield: A True Scream, Cry and Dance
“It's so cruel what your mind can do,” a deep-cut lyric sung by R&B and Soul singer Arlo Parks, has been one of many phrases from the artists’ discography that has vastly resonated with Gen Z’s complex lives. In pure honesty and comfort, Park’s music crafts hardships and catastrophe in a mosaic of connection to one’s body and mind, emphasizing a message of collectivity, originality and self-empowerment.
This past Tuesday, March 26th, Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho, most commonly referred to by her stage name Arlo Parks, left Montreal’s Théâtre Beanfield with a tranquil breath of rejuvenation. At only 23 years old, the West Londoner is currently on the North American leg of the My Soft Machine Tour following her venture across Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom. Bringing both her soothing sound and thoughtful poetry along for the ride, Parks’ tour is more of an immersive experience than it is an exclusive concert.
The singers' set fluctuated between soul-crushing ballads and strobe-attacking funk that brimmed with lyrical dissonance. During her night at Théâtre Beanfield, Park revealed, “Most of my songs are mostly sad. While this statement holds true to her discography, it is the lyrics of her work which illustrate hurt and grief rather than her art’s sound.
At the hands of her band members, Sam Harding, Dani Diodato and James Fernadez a handful of eccentric solos enunciated Parks’ songs and creatively dispersed from the original recordings of her album. During her performance of the hit single, “Eugene”, Diodato mesmerized the crowd with a strung-out guitar solo, riffing alongside Parks and adding new harmonies to the track. Decked out in a Radiohead Gucci Little Piggy t-shirt, Parks spoke briefly about her love for the Alt-Rock band, explaining how she’d taken inspiration for her 2020 hit “Eugene", from their sound. “Eugene” alongside “Caroline” are two critical pieces of Park’s debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams.
During her performance of “Caroline, Park’s audience was immediately infatuated with the passion she offered them. “Caaaarrrrolineee, I swear to god I’ll try, was screamed into the mic by the singer and howled by the audience, in sync. As the song reached its final chorus, lights dimmed, tension built, and the crowd promptly erupted as Park jumped off the stage in their direction, clutching onto the barrier bars as she held the hands of many transfixed fans.
The fire that had risen was smoothly sedated by Parks’ seamless transition into a track from her newest album, My Soft Machine. No audience member would have questioned the heavy breathing Parks’ endured from her hike back to center stage, as she effortlessly exhaled into “Impurities”. Throughout much of her set, Parks sunk into her own head, her eyes closed; it was clear she felt each syllable of every lyric she sang. The song captures the easy-listening ambience of Park’s genre, while simultaneously adding to her newest album's reflection on trauma and growth from hardship. Her performance of “Impurities” was a prime demonstration of how entranced she becomes in a performance of pure catharsis.
With a comparable sound to that of UK singer-songwriter Corrine Bailey Rae, Park’s night at Thêatre Beanfield filled listeners with utter reassurance that lo-fi, tranquil pop music continues to exist amongst the crowd of mainstream trap beats. By the same token, Parks’ exuberant honesty and passion in her performance truly connected audience members to their own bodies and soul in seeing her convey such connection to her own being and emotional boundaries.
You Can't Put This Babe in a Corner: Vancouver's Latest All-Girl Band
Whether it was pure luck or by the grace of the Spotify algorithm, my introduction to Babe Corner settled this appetite I not only had for new music, but also helped alleviate this growing homesickness I was beginning to experience towards the local bands and music venues I used to frequent back in Montreal and Toronto. While I embraced the chance to explore the many iconic music venues throughout London (UK) and saw as many artists as I possibly could during my year abroad, I nonetheless found myself missing this integral pastime that found itself at the epicenter of my friendships back in Canada of discovering new music, especially local bands. When I stumbled upon Babe Corner’s song “Cigarette” on a playlist called “Vancouver Sweet<3’s” on a night when the physical distance between myself and home was particularly burdensome, I felt as if this musical itch in my brain was finally alleviated and immediately texted my friends back home showing off my latest discovery. Whilst wrapping up my studies in London, I had the chance to chat with Babecorner’s lead guitarist, Lindsay, over Zoom, and later got to chat with her in person at Bush Hall before her show with Haley Blais, who plays bass for Babecorner.
Quite evidently from the Spotify playlist “Vancouver Sweet<3,” Babe Corner has added itself to the list of musical talent emerging from the West Coast. The self-described all-girl alt-rock band with Linsday Sjoberg on vocals and guitar, Allison Deleo on Keys, Haley on bass, Lillian Carr on guitar, and Jess Jones on drums, first formed in 2018 and released their debut LP Crybaby in 2023.
Lindsay’s brainchild, Babecorner’s induction to the Vancouver music scene was very much a way for her and her bandmates to redefine the meaning of the “girl band,” in what can simply be described as an industry that, despite the important strides that have been made, still carries some biases towards female and non-hetero conforming artists. In fact, the name of the band came to Lindsay while she and her friends were watching her now-husband (Christopher Vanderkooy from Peach Pit) skateboard at the park when a stranger loudly asked his friend “Who are those babes over in that corner?” Whether it be physical locations or the metaphysical spaces in which music exists, Babecorner not only wants us to reflect on the various preconceptions that surround how we have come to view and understand girl-bands, but ultimately sees music as an outlet and a tool of self-expression.
Babecorner simultaneously embraces and rejects the idea of being a girl-band. As Lindsay puts it, “there is something empowering about being in an all-girl band, but we just don’t want that label to define us.” The lyrics and the music video for “Cigarette” perfectly encapsulate the essence of the band, and shine a light on what is to come from the four-piece Vancouver band. Both reminiscent of Jane Fonda’s space adventures in Barbarella, and heavily inspired by 1950/60s comic strips, set in the Okanagan desert, “Cigarette” shows in moving pictures the story, or one of many versions of it, of four girls rockin’ it out.
The rise of female-led bands in Vancouver is slowly becoming the norm, rather than being an outlier phenomenon. Babecorner is for the girls in the bleachers at the skatepark and for those on their boards. Everyone deserves their own babe corner.
Babecorner completed their most recent North American tour last summer, with their latest performance over the Saint Patrick’s Day weekend in Austin, Texas. Lindsay is currently supporting Haley’s North American tour for the release of her sophomore album Wisecrack. They are set to perform at Montreal’s Bar Le Ritz on April 7th, 2024.
Interview with Karin Hazé, Founder of 75 SHOTS
The Under The Radar film event takes place from March 29th until April 1st, 2024, and highlights queer BIPOC stories that often get marginalized and underrepresented through film and other multidisciplinary works of art. This hybrid event features voices that speak out against the persecution of LGBTQ+ rights. The goal of the series is to highlight the stories and also support the artists by offering subscriptions to the collection of videos that will go towards 75 SHOTS Pocket Cinema, a non-profit organization dedicated to shutting down hatred and persecution through the power of cinema. Remi Caron Liss spoke to the founder of 75 SHOTS, Karin Hazé, about the event and the importance of filmmaking as a resistance movement.
Remi Caron: Hello Karin, thank you for the time for the interview today. First off, I wanted to ask you about what are some of the mandates for the 75 Shots organization and how the Under The Radar film festival came to be?
Karin Hazé: Hello, Remi. Thank you for having me. Under the Radar coincides with the 25th Anniversary of the Semaine d'actions contre le racisme. The mission of 75 SHOTS is to mentor LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly from countries where homosexuality is criminalized, in utilizing smartphone cameras to professionally narrate their own stories. Our initiative, The Cinema Feast Collection, serves as a platform for hosting these films online, providing marginalized communities access to quality art that resonates with their experiences.
Under the Radar stems from a childhood aspiration of mine to traverse remote areas and showcase films I've created and love. With the easing of lockdown restrictions and public spaces becoming lively again, the idea emerged to organize impromptu screenings in unconventional locations such as religious sites, government institutions, and deserted public spaces. These pop-up screenings facilitate dialogue between filmmakers and live audiences, fostering exchange and understanding.
Last summer, we were honoured to inaugurate the Pink Bloc’s Brûlances festival, and since then, we've expanded our outreach through additional events featuring discussions, screenings, and practical workshops.
For individuals residing in the 65 countries where homosexuality remains criminalized, accessing alternative media is exceptionally challenging. Our platform fills this void by amplifying silenced voices in a responsible manner, offering genuine avenues for personal and professional growth.
RC: 75 Shots teaches the fundamentals for filmmaking with a smartphone. There are many directors, like Steven Soderbergh, that have harnessed the power of technology to shoot films using a smartphone. How important is this device to filmmaking and leading a voice to not only fictional cinema but documentary as well? Can it be seen as a positive way of modern guerilla filmmaking?
KH: Smartphone filmmaking, to me, is undeniably defiant. I once met an artist who, upon arriving in Montreal, was astounded by the treasures he found discarded, particularly bed frames, which he transformed into giant paintings. His resourcefulness inspired me to embrace technology without intimidation. I actually find smaller gauges aesthetically appealing, and the more "imperfect" it is, the more authentic it feels, eradicating any stigma.
About eight years ago, while attending an underground Pride event in Jamaica, I noticed everyone taking selfies with smartphones capable of high-resolution and cinematic frame rates. It was a revelation, realizing the potential this had for someone feeling utterly powerless. It was a game-changer for empowering those feeling utterly powerless.
Yea for sure. All our activities will be available via live streaming and in person. For security reasons, we'll debut our latest production, an anthology film titled "Map Your Love." It comprises four queer love short stories shot across ten countries where homosexuality is criminalized. This exclusive screening will take place at the McCord Stewart Museum for a one-time-only event.
We have a packed schedule. It kicks off with a talk by Melanie Nathan, a human rights lawyer and activist from South Africa who heads the African Human Rights Coalition, aiding queer refugees across Africa. Following that, I'll be conducting a Pocket Cinema crash class. Lily Alexander will delve into her video essays and discuss the accessibility and self-reliance of this art form. Edem Abbeyquaye, a filmmaker from Ghana, will share her research on queer alternative media in Ghana. Leena Manimekalai, an Indian filmmaker recently forced into exile in Canada due to her provocative smartphone film, will speak on participatory filmmaking.
Three weeks ago, eight artists from various countries collaborated on a trans-local film project, which will be revealed during a short film program, titled "Lead from Behind," showcasing defiance in playful ways, on March 31st. In conjunction, we're co-presenting a short film entitled The Fires Are Outside, a queer religious leader in Namibia speaks about the acceptance he has found within his church, at the Bading Film Festival on March 30th. Coinciding with Resurrection Day and Trans Visibility Day, we'll host a group discussion with our guests about the intersection of art and activism, and how these storytellers serve as frontline defenders.
RC: How can people still continue to support the mandates set forth by 75 SHOTS after the event has ended?
KH: Thank you for asking, as ongoing support is crucial. We have several avenues for involvement. Firstly, we're collecting old devices to send to our mentees, enabling them to continue creating art and advancing their careers. Additionally, you can subscribe to our monthly or yearly plan to access our collection of around 75 titles, with regular additions of rare gems.
For those with time to spare, we welcome volunteers for various tasks such as social media, photography, videography, translators, etc. If you are travelling overseas, we need [help] to safely deliver equipment to our members, providing legal assistance, aiding with courier services, and spreading awareness to influential individuals who can make a difference to vulnerable communities. Furthermore, if you know of interesting venues that could be lent to us for future events, we'd greatly appreciate any tips.
RC: Where can people stream the films?
KH: Films can be streamed at www.cinemafeast.com.
RC: Thank you so much for your time today Karin. We normally like to end our interviews with a fun question. What film have you seen recently, new or old, that you feel that everyone should go and see?
KH: Shirley, about the first black woman to run for President in the US. She is famously known for saying: “If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” What a woman. Give thanks, Remi, for the opportunity.
Remi Caron is co-host of At The Movies (With Iconic Sounds), heard every Tuesday Morning from 8-9 AM only on @CJLO1690AM and www.cjlo.com.
Loving Waxes Nostalgic at Foufounes Électrique
When I heard Loving, a small Canadian band from Victoria, British Columbia, was playing Montréal's iconic Foufounes Électrique, located in the heart of the Montréal nightlife district on Ste Catherine Est, I knew I had to grab tickets. Loving’s music has been a staple in my playlists for years, with quaint, lullaby-esque melodies by producer and multi-instrumentalist, David Parry, and ever-comforting and relatable lyrics by brothers, Lucas and Jesse Henderson. Their radiantly nostalgic sound is like a taste of home, and as their name suggests, you can practically hear the love emanating from the heart of the band.
Despite Foufounes Électrique’s hardcore punk roots, the intimate venue, with its mere 615-person capacity, was the perfect fit for the band to play. Loving’s soft, folk-pop songs felt like a hug. I hadn’t realized until the show just how popular they had become, however, the crowd they amassed was certainly impressive and made me reflect on how far they have come as a band. They currently boast 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, but they still managed to carry their small-town spirit and folk roots through their sound.
While their set list prominently featured songs from their recently released (February 2024) album, Any Light, such as “No Mast,” “Medicine” and “Uncanny Valley,” the band treated their fans to a few of their early classics as well. The energy level of the gently swaying crowd intensified noticeably when they served up crowd favourites, such as “Sweet Fruit,” “Forgot Again” and “Bowlly Goes Dancing Drunk into the Future,” from their self-titled debut album, Loving, as well as songs like, “Only She Knows” and “Visions,” from their album If I am Only My Thoughts.
Despite the band's virtually nonexistent between-song banter, they were clearly a group of very dedicated musicians. In contrast, their opening act, Fog Lake (Newfoundland’s Aaron Powell), was far more engaging with the crowd. He played a few of his entrancing, airy pop singles, such as, “Almost Fantasy” and “Dinosaur,” as well as a heartfelt cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” (a personal all-time favourite song of mine) in honour of Young’s songs being put back on Spotify. Each brought a different quality through their music and crowd engagement, but both were incredibly technically adept and created an atmospherically beautiful sonic landscape.
Loving’s sound and vocal quality were pitch-perfect, nearly identical to their recorded sound but amplified. The beat from the drums, played by Justin Devries, added heft to their otherwise light and airy instrumentals. This intriguing juxtaposition added dimension to their tracks and imposed a different quality from their recorded music. Despite Lucas Henderson departure from the band to pursue personal musical projects upon the release of their latest album, there was no noticeable gap in the quality of the interpretations of the album tracks.
Watching Loving grow steadily as a band over the years, I am excited to see where this new album and chapter takes them. The Canadian double bill of Fog Lake and Loving made for an enchanting evening, leaving me in a dream-like state as I left the concert into the snowy and numbingly cold March Montréal night.
Otoboke Beaver: A Yearlong Passion
Otoboke Beaver is a Japanese Punk band from Kyoto and one of my favourite bands of all time. According to its members, the band performs a "fast-paced and aggressive style of punk-rock" with "frequent changes in rhythm and tempo" and "gang vocals". They have a plethora of personal music influences, including Japanese rock, hardcore punk, and Japanese pop music. Their music features a combination of all of them, representing musical innovation.
In February 2023, I was looking for a concert to attend for my friend's birthday. We discovered Ratas En Zelo, who were opening for Otoboke Beaver, at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City. I had never heard of Otoboke Beaver before, but their colourful album covers, quirky song names, and hardcore punk sound piqued my interest. The concert was one of the greatest I've ever seen, and Otoboke Beaver returned to Montreal a year later. On March 19th, Drinking Boys and Girls Choir opened for Otoboke Beaver at the Théâtre Beanfield. The band's powerful instrumentals and gentler vocals made them the ideal crowd-warmer for OB.
The energy in the room was electric as Otoboke Beaver went on the stage and waited to begin their show. The band's stage presentation and crowd interactions were unique and delightful. Guitarist Yoyoyoshie would frequently tell the crowd, "I love you," and experiment with the French language. Singer Accorinrin gave a statement encouraging us to buy merchandise (and I did) since the band "wanted our money." The bit kept going in between songs, and they even have a song called "Let's shopping after show". In between songs, she would warn the audience to "shut up" as we applauded and played the silent game.
Waiting until utter quiet fell over the room, each time a new song began, the mix of voices, instrumentals, and sheer energy caused the entire audience to cheer and dance passionately. With Kahokiss on drums and Hirochan on bass, the ensemble's energies come together in a display of talent.
The audience was diverse in terms of ethnicity, age, and personal style. A mix of grunge and eclectic outfits, with expressive patterns and vibrant colours. I chose to wear a combination of the two looks because I think it best captures the essence of Otoboke Beaver as a band. The mosh in the crowd was easy to navigate, with a designated pit. I could step in and out whenever I pleased, and have plenty of room to dance. They are self-proclaimed "pound-cake" girls who provide an entirely new viewpoint to punk music. Some of my favorite songs are “YAKITORI,” “S’il vous plait”, “datsu. hikage no onna”, and “yobantoite mojo”.
The same week I saw the band, my sister saw them in New York City. I asked her to share some of her experience with seeing them live; to show the universally epic performance that Otoboke Beaver gives.
I went to see Otoboke Beaver for the first time at Knockdown Center in New York City and it was epic. Though it’s the biggest indoor venue they’ve played, the crowd was fully enamoured with the band's every move as they led the “quiet game” and chanted: “We are the champion”. The pit was exciting and playful, there was a real feeling of camaraderie in the crowd. As for the band: this group is an absolute unit. They’re incredibly skilled musicians who are still so raw and fun. Otoboke Beaver is proof “Punk’s Not Dead!”
- Eliana Ballman
Laetitia Sadier, Music with Message @ Bar Le Ritz
Fourteen years since Stereolab released its last studio album, its leading lady Laetitia Sadier can still draw a crowd. Fans stood shoulder to shoulder all the way to the door on Saturday night at Bar Le Ritz PDB for the Montreal installment of Satier’s Rooting for Love Tour. With her gentle floating vocals and esoteric mid-song dances, a solo Sadier wooed audiences at the Ritz, performing songs spanning her career.
Part of the indie wave of the 90s, Stereolab is best known for their politically motivated lyrics masked by playful melodies and their use of vintage recording equipment. Sadier along with Tim Gane have been the band’s longest-standing members, in a partnership that has lasted since 1990.
Calling on influences from Krautrock (experimental rock from 1960s and 70s West Germany) to Bossa Nova and 60s lounge music, the band’s sound evolved over the course of ten studio albums. They brought something different to the indie scene with lyrics that ranged from quirky to informative. In particular, Laetitia’s songwriting has been influenced by the French philosophical movement of the Situationists, but Stereolab’s music was also imbued with a certain playful levity, i.e. their fourth album Emperor Tomato Ketchup. Their tunes have been sampled by a number of artists (such as Tyler, The Creator and J Dilla), and inspired other contemporaries like Pavement and Sonic Youth.
Sadier continued with the politically motivated references when she embarked on a solo musical adventure back in the late 90s, christening herself Monade. Her first solo album under this name Socialisme ou Barbarie: The Bedroom Recordings, was a nod to the French radical libertarian group of the same name. On Saturday, Saider had the audience swooning after performing the first track off the album, looping dreamy French verses while she took a moment of pause to showcase her trombone skills.
Since performing under her own name, Sadier has released a number of albums that expand on her previous ideas about society and politics. In her latest album, Rooting for Love, Sadier doesn’t miss the chance to imbue her lyrics with a message. Sung in both French and English the songs indicate a sort of holistic yearning. The first track “Who + What” expresses longing to move past the confines of cerebral existence, she sings “thinking with whole body, understanding who and what we can be.” “The Inner Smile” is an ode to organs, a song of gratitude, she implores the audience to “Smile at the parts you’re aware of and those you’re not.”
Laetitia in her 30-year career has gone to lyrical places where most people in the mainstream don’t venture, from Marxism to organ appreciation, showing an activist’s approach to music. I left the venue with a sense of appreciation for Laetitia’s honesty in both her stage presence and lyrics. And as per her instructions in “The Inner Smile,” I have been working on a more appreciative relationship with my spleen.
“Conjugate with the earth beneath… sit and smile today, smile, smile at your spleen, inundate it with light and be serene… Feel your organs smiling back.”
Photos by Joel Tourout
At The Movies Interview with Adrian Wills, Director of A Quiet Girl
Remi interviews Adrian Wills about his film A Quiet Girl streaming on the National Film Board of Canada's website as of March 25th. In A Quiet Girl, adopted Montreal filmmaker Adrian Wills discovers, on camera and in real time, the startling truths of his complex beginnings in Newfoundland. Shocking details drive Wills to the core of his birth mother’s resilience, and ultimately his own. In this moving feature documentary that combines 16mm footage and contemporary images with deeply personal conversations, Wills’ voyage transforms from an urgent search for identity into a quest to give a quiet girl her voice.
At The Movies (With Iconic Sounds) is heard every Tuesday Morning from 8-9 AM only on @CJLO1690AM and www.cjlo.com.
You've been Gwar-ned: Gwar invades Montreal
If you thought that maybe the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza is too hot an entry point for a review of a rock show, you'd probably be right. That is, of course, unless it's a review of the last Gwar show. For the last forty years, Gwar has gone where most entertainers fear to tread, meting out cartoonish blood-soaked hyperviolent retribution on a wide variety of villains. Having already savagely murdered Jesus, Satan, Hitler, Bin Laden, Reagan, Trump, Obama, Clinton (both), various popes, and an extensive assortment of politicians and entertainers, ripping Benjamin Netanyahu's face off should perhaps have been expected. Nonetheless, I was still surprised that they chose to tackle the most politically contentious situation of our current time. The audience bristled with discomfort when a dummy of a Jewish child was brought onstage and it wasn't entirely clear where this particular skit was headed. Then came Netanyahu, abusing a dummy of a Palestinian child. "Don't you have a hospital to bomb?", taunted a band member, while another lamented "And they call us monsters. You know you're in trouble when the safest place for a child is on stage with Gwar."
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