Hundreds gathered under the bridge of Mario Park to celebrate the 25th year of Pop Montréal. Ribbon Skirt, the local post-indie rock stooges, were directly under the bridge on a makeshift stage, urging the crowd to move closer between tracks. The vibe was very DIY Marché Des Possibles—which used to be near the train tracks—but the event had a bit more legs due to it being an official Pop Montréal showcase/ opening to the whole festival.
While attendees tasted twisted meats and drank some beers under the fall sun, Ribbon Skirt played songs from last year’s Polaris-shortlisted album, Bite Down. They also had a few more punky numbers from the raw Pensacola EP. I truly wish there was one more speaker situated away from the stage, because Ribbon Skirt’s ethereal post-punk was kind of swallowed up by the brutalist, concrete structure they were playing under. They also seemed a bit perturbed—I got the sense that vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Tashiina Buswa, couldnt hear her vocals for a few songs like “Off Rez.” Lead guitarist, Billy Riley, dressed in sporadic puprles and a skirt also seemed less jumpy than other shows I’ve seen, but maybe the band was just hyper focused on the set.
The farther you got from the stage, the quieter the sound became, especially as the crowd grew and grew, featuring a who’s who of Montreal music scene alumni.
The sound battles at outside DIY shows are known, but I know for a fact that other DIY shows have taken the risk and had higher decibels in that exact space. And this is Pop Montréal. The band, especially this one, should have been heard no matter where you were.
Photos by Stephan Boissonneault
