Concert review

alt-rock / Electro-Rock / math rock / microtonal

La Noce 2026 | The Day I Discovered Angine de Poitrine

by Fabio Pregnolato

I first discovered Angine de Poitrine in my kitchen in Belfast, when a Québecoise showed them to me the week they blew up on KEXP.

At first listen, I found it hard to tune into—and seeing the costumes, I immediately wrote it off as a bit gimmicky. Yet here I am in Chicoutimi, seeing them live.

I honestly couldn’t believe that a band this massive—easily one of the biggest acts of the moment—was slotted for a Thursday, the very first day of the festival at 7:15 PM. But apparently, they were scheduled at that time before they became so viral. Regardless of the day and time, the crowd was more than ready to welcome them under a boiling sun in Chicoutimi. A big red lad next to us was sweating his soul out in the heat, trying to fight it with a tiny handheld electric fan. Between the heat and the magic shrooms we had taken, we couldn’t stop giggling at this sweaty giant with his miniature fan—and right at that exact moment, Angine hit the stage.

Impeccably dressed in their unique alien costumes, they started blasting and looping their microtonals. Every loop drew us in deeper, and it was then that I fully understood the intense visual and musical impact they have on a crowd. Even the cameraman running around the stage wore a dotted costume with long, blonde ropes—nothing on that stage was allowed to be human.

After their first song, my friends dragged me straight into a mosh pit that felt like it might be my last. Clutching my bag for dear life, I’d never seen so many people spiraling and running in circles. But the community spirit was real: every time someone went down, everyone immediately helped them up. It’s always beautiful to see that kind of rock ‘n’ roll spirit in action.

The crowd was completely entranced, raising their hands in a triangle shape to support the band at the end of every song. The energy they played with was unstoppable, and under that roasting sun, their costumes inevitably got mucky, skin was showing, revealing that there is indeed some humanity hiding there.

I was gutted and drenched when they finished, but I felt incredibly lucky to see Angine at La Noce—not overcrowded, surrounded by good people, and in their hometown of Chicoutimi, which made it extra special.

Photo: Fabio Pregnolato

Blues Rock / Saharan Blues

La Noce 2026 | Etran de L’Aïr lights Up La Noce

by Fabio Pregnolato

Bringing a massive wave of positive energy to La Noce, Etran de L’Aïr completely captivated the crowd. With a crisp sound and powerful vocals, the Tuareg desert blues group from Agadez, Niger, left the audience hypnotized by their bouncing moves and repetitive Sahara guitar rock rhythms.

The more we moved, the bigger the smiles on their faces grew; they really were having as fantastic a time as the audience, which gave the whole show a sense of authenticity and community! The crowd did not always read the room. At some point, mosh pits started, along with some crowdsurfing, leading to definite disappointment on the faces of some fans who just wanted to dance and soak in rhythms.

The closing guitar solo felt endless, and not entirely in a good way. My partner and I exchanged a look that said it all: something was definitely off. The guitarist lost his flow, hitting some pretty rough notes while trying to pull off a complex riff. Luckily, he quickly snapped out of the rut, and they managed to finish the set in style. They departed with the largest smiles. Hands pressed together in gratitude. Hope I’ll see them again—overall, one of the best performances at La Noce.

Photo: Sam Snow

alt-rock / alt-rock / rock n’ roll / rock n’ roll

La Noce 2026 | Groovy Aardvark : A legendary powerhouse

by Fabio Pregnolato

Ten days in Québec as an Italian now living in Belfast, and the locals have already drilled one absolute truth into my head: Groovy Aardvark is a total institution here.

The crowd was an interesting mix, ranging from a few grey-haired veterans to younger people in their twenties. At one point, I asked for a rolling paper from a guy who looked like a biker, completely decked out in heavy leather. He clapped back, joking that he was surprised and that I was totally profiling him—only to laugh and kindly hand me one.

Closing out the after-party at the Télé-Québec stage, Groovy took a moment to wave to a few familiar faces in the audience before delivering a powerhouse final performance. Every instrument cut through the mix with crisp, potent clarity. The lead singer, Vincent Peake ’s raw, growling vocals channeled a cathartic rage.

He commanded the crowd effortlessly, even taking a heartwarming moment to thank a long-time fan for 40 years of loyal support. Peake said that this was his second set of the night, giving a playful excuse for his tired vocals—and perhaps for the man with a bandana singing backups while half-hidden in the shadows.

Special mention to the cover song « Le p’tit bonheur » , leaving the already hypnotized crowd completely spellbound.

Photo: Max Beaulieu

Drum & Bass / Electronic / hyperpop

La Noce 2026 | Le Belladone salvateurice

by Florence Cantin

« Tous les hommes détestent les femmes ». La première fois que j’ai entendu le titre Bitch de Belladone sur les ondes de CISM, je me souviens avoir ressenti une peine viscérale que j’avais du mal à extérioriser.

Je me dirige à la pulperie vendredi pour Belladone, un artiste qui fait dans l’hyperpop féministe et effrayante. Un genre qui me plaît énormément et qui joue dans les codes de l’hypersexualité, de la pureté, de l’infantilisation et de l’horreur. La pop me parle plus ou moins, mais j’ai trouvé dans le maximalisme de l’hyper — toute — une attitude punk ésotérique carrément galvanisante.

Le Belladone arrive complice avec ses acolytes, tous vêtus de blanc. Iel nous livre son texte à la fois troublant et libérateur aux côtés d’une autre grande artiste, ici sa choriste et meilleure amie Fyore. Il n’y a rien d’expérimental là selon moi. Le Belladone est claire dans sa visée. Son chaos est formaté dans un message clair et efficace. Je me retrouve une seconde séduite par sa beauté, ensorcelée par son costume que le ventilateur fait joliment danser, puis répulsée par la violence des thèmes que j’avais soudainement oubliés en ce beau vendredi ensoleillé que j’ai passé, naïve, à manger du jerky de saumon de la boucanerie d’Henri et à boire une Voie maltée sur une licorne gonflable à la piscine de l’hôtel Le Parasol.

Je réalise que mon eudémonisme est fragile, mais ici, maintenant, avec Le Belladone, entourée de gens que j’aime, avec la foule qui me sourit dès que je croise leur regard dans un moshpit infiniment poli, je suis bien ! Magnifique prestation de Belladone la veille de sa percée hors de l’émergence que je lui souhaite. J’aurais voulu mieux entendre sa voix qui semblait étouffée par l’ensemble des arrangements. Iel bouffe un cœur que je me résous à imaginer être une très grosse betterave.

Photo : Simon Thibodeau 

FIJM 2026: Atsuko Chiba Shapeshifts During JazzFest

by Stephan Boissonneault

I was anticipating a very calming set from the local Atsuko Chiba, who was opening for Goat, during the FIJM. Their fourth and self-titled album is a slow-burning dirge, with small moments of their frantic prog rock, but overall, the chillest we have heard from the five-piece. So I thought this would be a very hushed, low key set. Damn, was I wrong.

They opened with the unnerving “Climax Therapy” single, which, live, feels like Chibaz & sons are marching to war. A war of the self. Next came the album opener “Retention,” from the new album, a dark funk escapade made up of a bouncy bass, retro keys, samba-type beats, and psychedelic guitars. This song, for me, is all to lead up to the blistering bass solos from David Palumbo, who also slayed on the backing vocals. Lead singer/synthesizer/guitar player Karim Lakhdar always brings the commanding energy to any Atusko Chiba show, but for this one, it seemed he had the audience in the palm of his hand.

The visuals were, as always, amazing, created by drummer and mad projector scientist Anthony Piazza. We had third eyes, abstract udders (you heard me), mutating hands, and other weird shapes beautifully intertwined with the live set. “Future Ways” has me running from the top mezzanine to the floor. I love that dual lead guitar hero line from Eric Schafhauser and Kevin McDonald.

And then something happened. Something I never thought would. You see, the Atusko family is filled with genre shapeshifters, shapeshifters who love to hop between prog rock, psych, folk, hip hop, synthwave, and for one brief single, post-hardcore. They ended their set tearing into “Pope’s Cocaine,” a punkified hardcore track that has Lakhdar screaming, viciously, “I’M ON THE POPE’S COCAINE.” Hell yes. If i had my way, Atusko Chiba would do a whole album like this.

There was only one mosh during the closer, and you can be damn sure I was in it on the MTELUS. floor. I’m still feeling it in my back days later.

Photo by Benoit Rousseau

Art Rock / Experimental / Krautrock

FIJM 2026: Yoo II Avec Nolan Potter Brings Krautrock Madness to JazzFest

by Stephan Boissonneault

The first time I saw Yoo II Avec Nolan Potter is tough to beat. I witnessed the post/kraurock prog rock supergroup made up of John Talbot and Justin Cober (Yoo Doo Right), all three members of Population II (Pierre-Luc Gratton, Sébastien Provençal, Tristan Lacombe) and the Texan multi-instrumentalist, Nolan Potter (Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band), during the sunset, right off Lake Osisko, during the Festival Musique Émergente. It’s a memory that will most likely stay ingrained in my mind until I shuffle off this mortal coil. It was my Live at Pompeii moment.

Still, the late-night set during the FIJM was still a grooving and experimental free jazz vibe. I’m no drummer, but it seemed dual drummers Gratton and Talbot were adding in their own fills to the others’ beats, and with alkaline precision. I’m pretty sure I heard the opener to the collab album, “Cavalier (We’re Going Down),” with its unmistakable bass line, but who’s to say?

As with most experimental jams, it was hard to parse out when a song began or ended, and that was part of You II and Nolan Potter’s sonic ritual. The crowd (made up of a bunch of local musicians) seemed to love it, shaking ass and being absolutely blown away by Potter’s weird take on flute solos. His saxophone playing was certainly free and experimental and paired well with the jangly guitar madness from Cober and Lacombe. Gratton got on the mic during “Ralliement,” while pounding the absolute hell out of his toms. Another Pink Floyd-esque moment came from the bendy guitar solo to close out the song. I think this was from Potter as well, because I remember him picking up the axe at some point.

The whole You II set made for an ominous and surreal close to the JazzFest night. These guys gotta make another album at some point.

Experimental / Contemporary / Throat Singing / Traditional

FIJM 2026 I Tanya Tagaq Summons the Spirits

by Stephan Boissonneault

After seeing close to the end of Patrick Watson, I rushed over to Scène Rogers to witness Tanya Tagaq, the Inuk throat singer. As I approached the stage, Tagaq’s band – a cellist with some pedals and a drummer with MIDI pads and chimes were laying down some ethereal soundscapes as she made a plethora of sounds: clicks, wails, screams, into the microphone.

My friend, who was there since the start of the set, informed me Tagaq’s performance was entirely improvised. I did want to hear some of the actual songs from albums like Tongues, but instead, I got something that sounded like a never-ending sequence from a horror movie.

Tagaq has a commanding presence, going full Yoko Ono with her babbling and screams, and at moments, the atmosphere became very tense—as if she were summoning a Wendigo, a demonic entity from Indigenous folklore, with her hypnotic throat singing. It wasn’t a set I was expecting, and the strange vibe definitely turned some people off, but it will easily be a memmoroabel moment from JazzFest 2026.

Indie Pop / Piano

FIJM 2026 I Patrick Watson Dazzles Place Des Arts

by Stephan Boissonneault

Quebec’s adult-contemporary piano wizard transplant, Patrick Watson, pulled out all the stops for his main-stage show at the Montreal Jazz Fest. The set felt more like a musician’s friends’ showcase with vocal and instrumental performances by Martha Wainwright, La Force, Charlotte Cardin, November Ultra, and Charlotte Cardin — who all appear on his 2025 features album Uh Oh.

There were some truly spectral moments, like Watson, playing a light piano under a backdrop of projected stars while singing his lyrics from The Cinematic Orchestra’s “To Build a Home.” The crowd knew every word, chanting it back as Watson’s face was projected onto the UQAM and TD studio buildings. The show got even quieter and hushed when he performed “Silencio” with November Ultra, as Mishka Stein strummed a light nylon-string guitar. The lights dimmed to a hue of red and orange, creating a blackened halo effect around Watson and his friends. La Force, who was playing electric rhythm guitar for most of the set, also sang on the acoustic number,” The Lonely Nights.” It was hard to hear the nylon guitar, but the harmonies between Watson and the signers were clearly the focus.

Watson really ramped up his performance during the fan favourite “The Great Escape” when an acrobat, who seemed to be plucked out of the audience, walked up some stage stairs and bounced on a somewhat invisible stage trampoline to the piano chords. It was a memorable site even though I could only witness it from a screen.

Photos by Victor Diaz Lamich

Jazz

FIJM 2026 | Solarium: full light on some exciting Keb Jazz

by Frédéric Cardin

I went to see the free show by the Quebec quartet Solarium last Saturday at the Molson Pub during the Montreal International Jazz Festival. I had never seen and heard them live before, and I guarantee it won’t be the last time I do.

They are four young guys, intertwined during their time at the CEGEP of Saint-Laurent (a good brewing pool of up-and-coming-talent, the “St-Lo”): Karl-André Rozankovic (Compositions, Pianos, Keyboards), Léo Minville (Compositions, Drums, Guitar), Louis Plouffe (Saxophones), and Vincent Dessureault (Double Bass, Bass). Their mark is that of a vigorous post-bop, enhanced with modern rock touches and, occasionally, traditional references. It lifts, it grooves, it rips a bit, sometimes, and we like what we hear from one track to the next. The guys are having fun, obviously, and they allow us to envision a bright future for both them and us, attentive music lovers.

While waiting to have the immense pleasure of seeing them on stage somewhere, I will dive back into their discography (available on Bandcamp). Their most recent album (released just a few weeks ago) is called Live à Montréal. Put that in your ears, you’ll get the vibe.

Garage Punk / punk hardcore / rock n’ roll

La Noce 2026 | Enfants Sauvages lightning hot hot

by Florence Cantin

On Thursday night at La Noce, we headed over to the Télé-Québec stage for Enfants Sauvages. Rox Arcand storms out and starts getting us all riled up against matricule 728. Dancers hit the stage, flipping off the sky as if the dismissed cop had ascended straight to hell. Then, completely out of the blue, some guy stops her dead in her tracks, asking her to hold on. There weren’t many protests despite the disappointment: while a few took it as a cue for a beer run, many just decided to call it a night. Silent, muggy lightning strikes ultimately forced the band to pack it up.

After what felt like thirty-odd minutes, and some guy from La Baie telling me all about his trip to Italy, things got rolling again. Catching Enfants Sauvages live is always a safe bet. It reminded me of seeing her at Casa Del Popolo with Cornette and les petits trous de balle a few years back. Some guy was talking a bit too loud. She stepped right off the stage, chased him out of the venue, screaming her songs right in his face. He was genuinely terrified. I was convinced she was going to spit on him. Rox Arcand gives off this vibe of being dangerous. It’s pretty charming—as long as you’re on her good side.

They only have time to blast through something like three songs, in fast-forward mode. The stunts keep coming: the lead singer calls for an all-girl mosh pit. A few guys who try to squeeze their way in get violently roughed up, shoved, and kicked by the girls, who seize the opportunity to let off some steam. « C’est sûr que c’est ben d’adon », as my friend Audrey from Jonquière would say. The crowd and the band seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement: they were going to make up for lost time.

There is so much going on, I don’t even know where to look. The two basses add serious depth to the noise of the distorted guitars. The air is completely saturated with sound. The vocals are piercing; you can feel Rox Arcand’s bitterness over having to let a few raindrops get in the way. She reaches her hand out to us in a gesture I mistook for a handshake. It was more of an anchor to launch herself forward, body-surfing into the sparse crowd, while the dancers make out passionately—and just like that, it’s over. Not many bands can pack a 45-minute show into a condensed 15.

Photo: Samuel Snow (@photographie_samuel_snow)

Contemporary Jazz

FIJM 2026 | McBride / Lage, what a way to end the FIJM !

by Vitta Morales

All I can say is what a duo! And what a way to end the FIJM ! As far as I could tell Julian Lage and Christian McBride have not played much together in any official capacity; (an article I found from 2023 suggests they jammed once on a cruise ship), but we should be thankful that the two apparently now live in the same neighborhood in New Jersey, making this collaboration perhaps more likely in the future.

Playing as a duo is necessarily a more exposed formation where audience scrutiny is increased, interplay becomes invaluable, vocabulary is tested, and stamina is paramount. But the guys played it off as if it was nothing, of course. Lage and McBride have such a wealth of chops and musicianship that they intuitively knew when to let a moment breathe, when to push the intensity, and when to show off flurries of triplets or harmonize their melodies with double stops as they slid around the neck of their instruments.

Truly, it was almost as if we were peering in on two buddies playing for themselves. While pointing to the set list, one would often ask the other, “You wanna play that one, or this one?” The two also had very good comedic timing when talking to each other and to the audience, all while they made their way through compositions by Monk, Wayne Shorter, Ellington, Coletrane, and even Lage’s original tunes. “Okay we’ll play that one, but you take the intro,” Lage replied at some point in the set.

At the end of the night, the Festival presented McBride with the Miles Davis award, which is intended to honor an internationally renowned jazz artist and their contribution to the evolution of the genre. I can’t imagine how big his trophy cabinet must be by now, (my thoughts turn to those eleven Grammys he’s racked up), but I can’t think of anyone more deserving. I’m sure he’ll find some space.

Photo by Victor Diaz-Lamich

Publicité panam
Contemporary Jazz / Jazz / jazz groove

FIJM 2026 | Kassa Overall Crumbles the Boundary Between Jazz and Hip Hop

by Harry Skinner

It’s not particularly controversial at this point in time to suggest that jazz and hip hop are inherently linked; they are seen by many as essentially two different dialects of the same language, with blurry lines between them. Artists like Kassa Overall, however, can lead us to question whether there is really any line between the genres at all. He and his band graced the fortuitously covered Pub Molson stage on Thursday evening after some heavy rain finally let up.

The groove of the opening piece, Overall’s ‘Ready To Ball’ gradually emerged from a bed of out-of-time textural swells from the band, with the bandleader expanding the sonic landscape with electronics. The way the band played this song clearly demonstrated the homogeneity with which they relate to jazz and hip hop – from one moment to the next we heard electronics and a live rhythm section; a firm backbeat and sparse piano comping; rapping and up-tempo swing, with no moment feeling out of place.

Overall described each member of his band as ‘possibly’ the best on the planet at their instruments, and with the musical relationships on display onstage, it is clear he did not say this disingenuously. Pianist Matt Wong clearly subscribes to the Overall Ethos of the project, as illustrated by his excellent solo on A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Check the Rhime’ which expanded cleverly on the melodic motif in the Average White Band sample. The rhythmic linkup Overall has with percussionist Bendji Allonce and bassist Giulio Xavier could hardly be tighter if they were quantized in a DAW. As a unit the band played with great intensity, a highlight of the show being a blistering cameo solo from tenor saxophonist Isaiah Collier.

What sets Kassa Overall apart from other acts that merge jazz and hip hop is the level of authenticity with which he approaches it. When he plays a modal jazz interpretation of Digable Planets’ ‘Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)’ and gradually changes the groove from fast swing to a backbeat so that you never notice the switch, it is because he genuinely feels the link between the two grooves. When he plays ‘Check the Rhime’, it is with the same familiarity and reverence with which he would play a jazz standard like McCoy Tyner’s ‘Passion Dance’, which is incidentally exactly where the Tribe tune went. He truly has one foot firmly in each lane and never fully leaves one or the other behind. What he ends up with is a new third lane entirely of his own.

Photo by Productions Novak

Publicité panam

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