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Laufey's Bewitching tour truly is representative of its name. The 24-year-old is currently the most streamed jazz musician on Spotify. She holds inspiration from Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Oscar Peterson, and Taylor Swift. Saturday, October 28th, the Icelandic singer took the stage to perform her latest album Bewitched at Theatre Beanfield.

The night started with the opener, Adam Melchor, an indie artist, singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”  He demonstrated impressive vocal riffs and guitar playing. The artist’s stage presence was impeccable as he had the ability to keep an audience entertained with introspective rants and self-deprecating humour, notably telling stories of his childhood and an ex’s car hitting a tree. His lyrics held the same power of beautifully juxtaposing humour and vulnerability. 

Once Laufey came on, I finally understood why people love jazz so much, as she serenaded the crowd like a princess singing to animals in the forest. She meticulously enchanted everyone with her beautiful voice and diary-inspired lyrics. The singer-songwriter writes on matters of the heart, such as secret longing, hopeful endeavours, and remorse. The crowd was the loudest for the song “From the Start,” singing and sometimes screaming along to her hopeful and hopeless lyrics about having a crush on a friend who doesn’t feel the same way. Laufey showed great musical skill in jazz, classical and pop music, with her ability to switch between three guitars, the cello, and the piano at any given moment. Her theatrical facial expressions and dancing made it feel like we were all listening to her tell stories, like a group of old friends. 

Laufey often interacted with the audience by replying to the people who screamed out, laughing with the crowd, and speaking of her hopes and fears, anything that led her to write and create such poetry. 

At the end of the night, she performed a one-off surprise song, “Dance With You Tonight,” which she explained would only be performed in Montreal. Laufey made me want to fall in love, cry, and rewatch all my favourite childhood fairy tales. Finally, she gave me a deeper appreciation for jazz. 

POP Montreal took over the city’s Plateau district from September 27th through October 1st, 2023. Oh, those halcyon days of two weeks ago, the nights were warmer, the world was maybe just a little bit less screwed up and the sound of music spilled out onto the sidewalks of our fair city.   

While the bigger name shows like Martyn Bootyspoon and Islands might have drawn larger crowds, all the cool people could be found on Saint Laurent Boulevard at Casa Del Popolo. Even CJLO’s own unflappable host of Hooked on Sonics, Omar Sonics, was hanging out for the evening of music that featured Avec Plaisir and Barnacle. Alt-rockers Bonnie Trash were also on the schedule but, unfortunately, one of the band members caught the Covid blues, forcing the cancellation of the show. Because of this, the two bands left standing Avec Plaisir and Barnacle hit the stage a bit later than expected. Fortunately, those in attendance hardly blinked an eye and the shows went on without missing a beat.

Avec Plaisir, a self-described indie punk quartet that consists of Sam Winsor and Sébastien Vézina on guitar and vocals, Julien Besner on bass and vocals and Maxime Verreault on drums. Their debut album, released in 2022 was simply titled, An Album and that laid-back attitude was quite apparent during their forty-five minute or so set that included songs from said album, like “Jarry St.” and “Jeep Cherokee Influencer.” The band tried to get the audience involved in an old-school circle dance adding a bit of oomph to the evening, to which Avec Plaisir took it up a notch adding a bit more reverb and energy. 

When Barnacle took the stage, the small venue had filled up and a buzz of the first night of Pop Fest excitement filled the air. Led by the strong vocals of lead singer Sam Cummins, Zack Bruce on guitar, the steady beat of drummer Raph Sandler and the pounding bass provided by Allison O’Reilly on songs like “Uncle Chucky” and “Sunblock,” one could not help but to shake about.

 Day two of POP Montreal saw Club L’Esco host the album launch of Montreal singer-songwriter Sasha Cay's latest album, Spin. Alphonse Bisaillon kicked off the evening with a solo endeavour of him and his keyboard that entranced the appreciative and abnormally quiet audience with his pop melodies and quirky storytelling. Up next was Montreal music producer Sam Woywitka’s latest project SAMWOY. A band that denies explanation preferring to let the listener join them on their sonic journey.

Unlike the quiet and attentive audience during Alphonse Bisaillon’s set, the audience during Sasha Cay’s set was the chattiest I had been around in quite a long time. No matter where I wandered in the small venue people seemed more interested in catching up with their mates than what was happening on stage. The low volume of the vocals on songs like “Shadowboxing” and “Blackfly” certainly did not help matters. The sound did get turned up three-quarters through the show which seemed to help drone out all the incessant chatter. Closing out the evening was the Montreal post-punk band Sunforger. 

All week the festival was graced with beautiful fall weather and the final day, Sunday was no different. One of the few outdoor venues, Entrepôt77 was hosting a band I was looking forward to checking out. Unfortunately, the mid-afternoon start time might have been a bit early for some as the turnout for Balaklava Blues was quite disappointing. Like really disappointing, I'm pretty sure I could have taken a head count with my fingers and toes. The professionals that they are, they played as if the Big O was filled with adoring fans as their set closed to a climatic rendition of “Shelter Our Sky” and “Let Me Out.” Towards the evening the venue filled up for the hip hop artists El Mega S.P.R.M and Gayance. Over at the Rialto Theater folk artists Beyries and Bonnie “Prince” Billy played to a full house. Both solo performers had no trouble commanding the attention of the audience. A fitting end to the festival was the encore when Bonnie “Prince” Billy played a cover of Sinéad O’Connor’s “Queen of Denmark.”

October 12th, 2023 was a time capsule to teenage angst for the band, Violent Femmes, at the 40th-anniversary tour of their self-titled debut album at MTELUS.

This Folk Punk Band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin found critical acclaim in 1983, when this first record, filled with youthful yearning and anger, was released. The tracks, written by Gordon Gano, the lead singer and guitarist, at the young age of 18, explore themes of sexual expression, anger, love, lust, and wanting your dad to lend you his car. 

The concert started with a Canadian folk act, Kevin Hearn, of the Barenaked Ladies. Hearn played joyful songs with an air of melodic pop but used gory metaphors that could be humorous, creating an enthralling honest vulnerability to his lyrics. 

Once Violent Femmes came on stage the crowd came alive. The whole night was filled with an energy of bliss and electric liveliness with cheering voices and dancing. The band played their debut record from start to end, thus, starting the night with their biggest hit, “Blister in the Sun.” This, however, didn’t make the night any less enjoyable as it filled the audience with excitement. All the songs sounded as they did on the recording, truly bringing the crowd back to their youths. 

Throughout the night the band used a myriad of instruments sometimes in peculiar ways, like playing the violin like a ukulele and using a barbecue as a drum. This was incredibly impressive and mesmerizing as the audience could see the pure passion expressed by the musician’s level of technical skill and talent that was needed to create this iconic first album. It appeared like each musician was communicating with each other through their instruments as well as personally to the audience. The band played some songs from their other albums, ending the night with their song “American Music” as an encore. The small venue, remarkable bass solos, and use of wind instruments made the night unforgettable and awe-inducing. 

Rightfully so a fan favourite, The Violent Femmes debut album is the perfect soundtrack to soothe the bittersweet ache of growing up. I dutifully recommend it to any student going through the stress of starting university in a new atmosphere with new people.

In the ever-evolving music landscape, Lil Yachty has carved a unique mark for himself through his genre-bending, distinctly charismatic, and memorable sound. His boundless creativity translates not only through his music but through every aspect of his performance. Yachty’s vision was brought to life through engaging visuals, corresponding lighting, and breathtaking harmonies at MTELUS on September 27th in Montreal. 

Lil Yachty's new album Let’s Start Here is a radical departure from his previous musical style, introducing a psychedelic rock sound that has received critical acclaim. MTELUS welcomed Lil Yachty on his The Field Trip tour, creating a basically perfect concert.

The MTELUS venue greatly improved the concert. There is a balcony and a pit so if you desire to sit or stand, you have a choice. The pit at most rap performances is crowded and tough to navigate, but this was not the case here. The audience was mostly college and high school students, which appealed to me enormously since I am in that demographic. Everyone was kind and friendly, and a couple of them assisted me in getting closer to the front for a better view. 

The performance began with two openers, each creating a different atmosphere for the audience. 

The first was the Concrete Family, featuring Camo, Draft Day, Moe, and Karrahbooo, a group of rappers with music similar to what you could hear on a playlist feauring “iSpy” and “Broccoli.” These songs were the ideal way to kick off the show, with the entire crowd dripping in sweat after their performance– a clear indicator of success.

Then Nick Hakim sang soul and R&B songs. Hakim had obvious talent and a wonderful voice, but his show didn't have the crowd interaction I anticipated. I think that the two openers should have switched places. Right before Yachty came on,it would have been better to have a more explosive or rap opener to get the audience in the right mood. Hakim's set included a lot of standing around, and it was hard to get into his music unless you already knew it.

When Lil Yachty took the stage, his first few songs were off his new album, which created an environment in which everyone was singing along and having a good time.

Despite his appealing performance, his all-female band stole the show. The band consisted of Téja Veal on bass, Monica Carter on drums, Quenequia Graves on guitar, Kennedy Avery Smith on keyboards, and Lea Grace Swinson and Romana R. Sainti on vocals. Each of them was a master of their craft, with harmonies that moved around the music scale like honey, making me genuinely stop and marvel. The show's graphics were equally stunning, and everyone in the audience was singing along to the songs that we had all grown to love. The finest part of his presentation was the transition from relaxed rock tunes to classic rap songs and back to rock songs. 

Yachty performed all of the hits during his rap session. The MTELUS venue has a perfectly long and wide floor and the mosh pit was active and sweaty, but not unsafe. I could easily bounce off people and dance about. Everyone's stance changed organically as the crowd moved. We were easily able to return to the middle of the mosh for the finale of Yachty’s rap tracks, my particular favorites being “Flex Up” and “One Night.” I had prepared for the show by studying the lyrics on a Spotify playlist, but Lil Yachty surprised me. 

Lil Yachty performed the entire new record, which was exactly what the crowd seemed to want. The concert was the right length, and it closed with the song “Black Seminole” (from his album Let's Start Here). Overall, I'd give the concert an 8.5/10. The points I removed are for having two openers, which I believed was excessive and unneeded for a concert of this size. Both openers were good performers, but the concert was for Lil Yachty. I'll argue that the openers have it tough, especially with this crowd, who kept cheering “Yachty, Yachty, Yachty” during their sets. 

I recently attended a Death Grips show, which was excellent. They began 30 minutes after the scheduled start time, had no openers, and no "banter" with the audience in between songs. They went right to business, which I loved. I'll be waiting for another concert to do it for the rest of my life.