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One of the most inspiring concerts I’ve been to in a while. I Used to Know Her Tour features young artists who have multitasked attending school while pursuing their passion. They are ambitious souls who are born to entertain.

New Jersey native Tone Stith was the first artist on stage opening up for 200 plus R&B fans at MTELUS on Tuesday night. His soft falsetto voice had the crowd screaming and reaching their hands out for more. Tone Stith is fairly new in the game and got his biggest jump in the soundtrack for the latest sport comedy film Uncle Drew. Tone Stith is on the track Light Flex from the movie with 2 Chainz. After performing a few of his popular songs Tone Stith took a selfie with the crowd and told his fans they can meet him at the merch stand at the end of the show.

Up and coming Philadelphia rapper Bri Steves picked up the energy and really pumped the crowd for the main act. She performed her hit song “Jealousy” twice, which borrows a chorus from Jon B’s 1997 song “They Don’t Know.” In between songs, Bri Steves spoke to the audience about issues ranging from relationships to education. In 2017, Bri Steves walked across the stage of Temple University. She told us going to school in the day and working on music all night was one of the hardest things she’s done, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Despite being told by people close to her how unrealistic her dreams are, she proved them wrong and speaks about it on her track “Miami.”

Before marching onto the stage with a guitar in hand, H.E.R (Having Everything Revealed) shared footage of herself at 6 years old. At a young age she dreamt about the life she is living right now, composing her own music while singing her own stories. Last week, she posted to Instagram saying “I remember performing in front of 4 people, today it is 4,000 people”. Throughout the tour she continues to remain humble and thank God for His continuous blessings. H.E.R closed off the post saying “anything is possible when you are passionate!” At 21 years old and living her dreams she thanked the crowd countless times for listening to her music and supporting her. She started off her set with some newer music from I Used to Know Her: The Prelude and Part 2. Songs like: “Carried Away,” “I’m Not Okay,” “Hard Place,” “Lost Souls” and “As I Am.” When H.E.R. performed songs off of Volume 1, 2 and Volume 2 The B Sides she gained the most love from fans. As soon as the melody for songs like: “U,” “Focus,” “Lights Out,” “Options,” “Every Kind of Way,” and especially “Best Part,” fans were screaming in anticipation of what was to come. Just when concertgoers sensed the show was coming to an end the cheers got louder and louder making H.E.R. unable to speak. Those on the balcony began rumbling their feet which amplified the crowd's excitement and she decided to do one more song before exiting the stage.

I Used to Know Her Tour continues in the United States until December before she heads to Europe in March. Find all the dates here.

Krystal Christine hosts The Trend which airs Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m.

For a Sunday night, Montreal had many options for concert goers on Nov 4th. Metalheads seemed divided between seeing Behemoth at MTelus or Windhand at le Belmont. Personally, I was originally planning on seeing some good ol’ Quebec grindcore at l’Entre-Nous. That is, until I got word that Fucked Up would be in town, along with hardcore sound-alikes Mil-Spec.

Fucked Up is currently on their North American tour in support of their newest album, Dose Your Dreams. I’m still on the fence about whether I like it as much as the rest of their discography. There are some great songs with memorable hooks and inventive use of instrumentation. However, the punk aggression of singer Damian Abraham has less of a presence on the record. Abraham was under the impression that Fucked Up hit its creative peak with their 2014 record Glass Boys (I partially agree). But, lead guitarist Mike Haliechuk wanted to push the band in new directions, and thus wrote Dose Your Dreams himself. Vocals were mostly provided by Abraham, along with other members of the band and a few guest vocalists.

I’ve seen Fucked Up play live twice before. I wasn’t familiar with any of their songs then, yet I was nonetheless entertained by Abraham’s wild performance. He is known to smash pint glasses over his head, rip off his shirt and get in the fans’ faces. I made sure to dive deep into their discography before seeing them live for a third time at Sala Rossa. Their setlist included a few fan favourites like “David Comes to Life” and “Queen of Hearts,” but for the most part, consisted of numbers off the new record. As a result, I think the audience felt less inclined to move about and sing along. I also noticed a different energy with Abraham’s stage presence. Not wanting to steal focus from the rest of the band, Abraham would obediently crouch down during his non-singing segments.

Dose Your Dreams continues the story of the fictitious character David, as he experiences drug-induced hallucinations and holy visions. Staying true to the theme, psychedelic visualizations were projected on a screen behind the band. Samples were used for guest vocals and drum machines, as they appear in the album. As great as it was to see Fucked Up, I couldn’t help but think this was the last time I will see the Toronto six-piece in its current form. Moving forward, Abraham has admitted that he has different priorities outside the band. It’s very possible I have seen the beginning of the end of Fucked Up, as Abraham and Haliechuk take separate paths.

Hosted by Erdene Batzorig

Stories by Erdene Batzorig

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LOCAL

Tensions remain high as the SAQ’s three-day strike mandate came to an end on Sunday without any results.

According to CTV News, the union is demanding for better working conditions and for their salaries to increase at the same rate as the inflation level.

In an interview Simon Desjardins, vice-president of the union said, “We’re not asking for anything too extravagant. We just don’t want to get poorer and poorer every year.”

If the SAQ crown corporation and the union does not come to an agreement, the strike could continue for two more weeks.

NATIONAL

A Musqueam Nation fisherman says climate change is taking a huge toll on the fishing industry and it’s  getting worse over time.

Mike Sparrow says the fishing industry is experiencing major ups and downs due to the rapid speed the ocean are warming up.

According to APTN News, recent findings of Ocean Wise prove that the effects of climate change are causing serious damage within the ecosystem of the oceans.

INTERNATIONAL

A far-right radicals attack on a transgender rights demonstrations in Ukraine has left at least three people injured.

A group of 50 people had gathered to mark the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance when the attack happened.

Sofiia Lapina, a member of KyivPride, told Kyiv Post newspaper, "Radicals started moving towards LGBT people, so the police started to physically shove us into the metro and told everybody that the rally has ended.”

According to CBC, in a statement given by the Ukrainian police, they prevented a "provocation" during the demonstration by separating LGBT activists from far-right counter-protesters.

Photo: Colin Medley

“I hope that show becomes my most important memory of 2018,” says Montreal’s Helena Deland with a laugh.  Deland is referring to her headline performance at this year’s edition of M for Montreal, the four-day festival spotlighting rising local talent for industry folk and music fans alike.  The show is the culmination of a whirlwind year of gigs for the singer-songwriter, including a U.S tour in the spring (including a performance at Austin, Texas’ venerable SXSW festival) and European one last month.

“SXSW was very intense for me, that I found left a very strong impression on me,” notes Deland of the first shows her band played abroad.  “I felt like it was kind of the Mecca of artiste emergente,” says Deland.  “It felt very homogenous but I really enjoyed it too.  It was a place where I felt a lot of stuff could happen.”

Deland and her band’s European dates brought them back to the U.K., but also to the Netherlands, Germany, and France.  While Deland notes that the time to explore each of the new locales was brief, touring goes some ways to fulfilling the desire to travel.

“I had the best time honestly [laughs], it was really cool,” remarks Deland.  “We get along very well first of all; I think that’s a real lucky point. Being together 24/7 is hard for anybody but it doesn’t get unbearable for us, so that’s nice.”

Of course, there is a reason Deland has such a busy schedule this year,, which was to promote Deland’s four volume series of songs entitled Altogether Unaccompanied, released in two separate installments this year.  They are the follow-up to Drawing Room, Deland’s debut EP released in 2016.  The four volumes of Altogether Unaccompanied display Deland’s range as an artist, whether it be the plaintive melodies of “There are a Thousand,” the sparse pop of “Body Language,” or the synth-driven arrangements of “Claudion.”

The songs making up Altogether Unaccompanied are the culmination of older material Deland treasured, but did not feel added up to a cohesive album.  Included is “Rise,” which Deland wrote a few years ago and represented what the songwriter described as the first meaningful song she penned.

“As it is about someone, that’s what I’ve most been preoccupied with,” reflects Deland about the song.  “Just the fact that that person has heard it before, but now in spite of them has to deal with the fact that everybody can now hear it.

“That is what I find weirdest with the delay between the moment I wrote it and when it comes out,” she says.  “I like this song a lot also so it’s a really good feeling, but it is very strange to work with something I wrote such a long time ago.  It was so sincere that I wouldn’t want to abandon it ever, so I’m really happy that it’s now out.”

It is with songs like “Rise” and others from Altogether Unaccompanied that have brought Deland growing recognition from not just the average listener, but critics as well.  Publications such as The New York Times and Pitchfork now write about the artist, something Deland admits has felt strange in crossing over from a readerof such outlets to an artist covered by them.

“I think it’s definitely dangerous to put too much importance on those things,”  remarks Deland, “because they’re unreliable and completely out of my control personally, so I try not get too excited about it and not be too disappointed by the absence of that.”

“I think releasing the series of songs has been a real intense thing to deal with because they’re such old songs and because releasing music is so anticlimactic these days, where you just sit at home and watch social media all day [laughs].  [I] try not to, but it’s kind of something to get used to, it’s a process.”

Even after releasing an album’s worth of material this year, Deland is sketching songs for an eventual debut album.  Knowing an audience expects new material keeps the artist from staying too content with partially satisfying songs, but also adds new anxieties.

“Having a Pitchfork review really stressed me out,” says Deland, “because I’m kind of in that circuit now, being graded [laughs], so that’s pressure which I definitely shouldn’t take into account when I’m writing because it just stifles whatever there would be.”

The songwriter also notes wanting to seek out collaborations with her artistic peers.  One such partnership is with Montreal electronic producer Ouri, a pairing suggested by Deland’s manager between the two friends (Ouri even played cello for Deland’s earliest shows).  In the future, Deland wants to engage with more artists she admires for collaborations.

“That is what’s really, really exciting about pursuing this is that you kind of gain credibility and you can eventually go towards anyone,” explains Deland.  “Well, I wouldn’t hit up Frank Ocean [laughs]. The music world is beginning to seem smaller and smaller, and people I’m excited about who I feel are in a similar position no matter where they are in the world you can just hit up and [ask] ‘would you be interested,’ and the worst that can happen is being rejected.”

Nevertheless, despite all the tour dates and increased attention Deland has had in 2018, the artist’s sights are set squarely on her homecoming show at M for Montreal and Deland’s most daunting audience.

“I just think of every person I know who’s going to be there,” admits Deland.  “I feel like whenever you kind of want to impress someone, you kind of play for them, and now all my closest friends are going to be there.  There is something very comforting in it, but also they are basically the people whose opinion matters most to me.”

Helena Deland plays Theatre Fairmount (5240 Park Ave) with Tess Roby on Friday, Nov. 16, 10 p.m., $15/$20

Alex Viger-Collins is the host of Ashes to Ashes, your weekly dose of modern pop, every Tuesday at 1:00 p.m.