TAVERNE TOUR I Bad bitch vibes and hyperpop madness at O Patro Vys

O Patro Vys is a small venue above Billy Kun, a bar famous for having various ostrich heads over the walls. In reality, O Patro Vys doesn’t have many ostrich heads, but there was no lack of bad bitch vibes that snowy Friday night on the Day 2 of Montreal’s Taverne Tour. Public Appeal, Franki, Los3r, and Ura Star & Fireball Kid hyped up the dancefloor and made many girls (and me) scream. I guess that’s what FKA Twigs meant by “Eusexua”. 

Public Appeal, a DJ and musician from France, has been destroying dance halls of rave floors in Montreal for last six years. That night they lit up O Patro Vys with a label-free pop set that blended rugged electroclash beats and sultry indie sleaze. It was pure slay energy, fueled by influences from Charli XCX to underground techno – people on the dancefloor around me were jumping and singing along, profoundly hooked on Public Appeal’s confident presence and dystopian-edge pop. 

Public Appeal

Franki, a project by singer-songwriter Helena Palmer, brought to O Patro Vys a denim-inspired pop spectacle, bubbling around punchy rhythms and cheeky nostalgia for the Brat summer. Her soft guitar and intimate lyrics were backed by Julia Mela (from Gondola) on a bass and DJ Wiltbarn, an emerging local adept of juke, footwork, and girly-pop electronics —a perfect trio to match with cheerful songs about fabric, fashion, and everyday chaos. “You Look Good in Your Jeans” is still playing in my head while I’m writing this review a day later. And I don’t even wear jeans. 

Franki

I went out for a smoke, and after I was back, I found that three bubbly girls on the stage turned into three boys with laptops, ready to rock their computer wizardry. But the shit they make ain’t no Silicon Valley Hackathon; the sugary vocals, blend of melancholic lyrics and brash electronic beats were not too far-fetched from the girly energy that dominated the night at O Patro Vys. Los3r, an electronic trio from Ottawa formed in late 2022 by longtime friends Noah Perkins (Geunf), Thomas Khalil (User), and Julien Martinet (dulien) – absolutely slayed.

The night was wrapped by real instruments from Ura Star & Fireball Kid, a six-piece sound presence, described on their Bandcamp as “music for good times, kitchen parties, barn burners and night drives.” Kids back then used to call it “easycore”—lots of jumping around, lot of guitars; bright, melodic textures and chants like “I love going out – we always have a good time / cold beer in my mouth reminds me of summertime, oh ya”; its pop, punk, synth-driven hooks and, honestly, I fuck with it. Boys made it to the Brat summer party and found a way to fit in the vibe. Nothing but respect.