CM Goes POP! Day 2 @ POP Montreal
Friday, September 21st, 2012
Candice and Melanie were back at it again yesterday, taking in as much music and madness as possible during the second day of POP Montreal 2012. Here’s their recap of Day 2 along with some terrific shots which, like yesterday’s, were shot by Ms. Melanie. Hit us with any suggestions for who to catch tonight or over the weekend!
After a promising first day, we were eager to take in Day 2 of POP MTL. We couldn’t have asked for better weather. The day started off with a barbeque at Parc Little Italy with bands playing the charming gazebo stage. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and denim jackets seemed to be the uniform du jour. All the cute little neighbourhood kiddies also came to bob their heads to the cheerful beats.
It was the perfect afternoon to grab a beer and burger and take in some Toronto talent.
Yacht Club started off with their fun beachy vibe, perfectly complemented by the Hawaiian leis worn by the POP staff, who were grilling up burgers and pineapple slices. The crowd was a bit timid, but the band never let their energy down. They were joined by Hannah Krapivinsky of Toronto’s Foxfire for their last song.
Caila Thompson-Hannant, known as Mozart’s Sister, was next, delivering some soulful, experimental dream pop. She gave a strong performance considering she was solo on stage for the most part aside from some assistance from a bassist for some songs.
The crowd grew as Born Ruffians took to the stage. The sun was beaming through the gazebo as lead singer Luke Lalonde’s distinctive voice filled the neighbourhood of Little Italy. Just as we were really starting to enjoy ourselves, we realized we had to hit the road again to make it to the sold-out Grimes show at Club Soda.
We arrived at Club Soda amidst James Brooks, AKA Elite Gymnastics’, set. He stood awkwardly on stage complete with stuffed animals, flowers, an electric guitar, and an iPad. This was a unique performance, as he describes his band as an art project and kept repeating how uncomfortable he felt; but since he had twelve minutes left on stage, he felt he should do something. Was this all part of the art project, or was he genuinely uncomfortable? Either way, we did get a Spice Girls cover and a great performance of his song “Andeja-4-Ever.”
Our anticipation was building for Grimes. We’d been looking forward to seeing the Vancouver-born Montrealer for weeks. First two girls with neon body paint under what can only be described as shower curtains walked on stage. These girls would later be joined by two men in tighty whities and a long-haired Beetlejuice doppelganger to complete the dance party. We could tell this group hung out on the regular.
Claire Boucher AKA Grimes arrived on stage wearing a baggy hooded sweater, braided green hair, face jewels, and a giant Marilyn Manson t-shirt. There she was in all her glory! Her performance – including our favourite song “Vanessa” – was seamless all while she danced in her unique grade-5-dance-party-meets-ballet style. The capacity crowd was buzzing. We had a great view from the balcony but wanted to join the dance crew below. We managed to push our way to front row, where the energy was exhilarating. Her performance was incredible. The elbows to the head and punches to the body were small prices to pay in order to witness Grimes extremely up close and personal. Her set ended with an encore performance of her Blood Diamonds collaboration song “Phone Sex” as Beetlejuice splashed a round of Champagne in the mouths of the front row.
After such a high-energy show, we were raring to go. We hopped into a cab and headed over to Cabaret Mile End for the Vice Magazine party with headliners Joey BadA$$ and Juicy J. This was definitely the hip hop hub of POP Montreal. As Joey BadA$$’s set began, a group of girls (including your Montreal correspondents) jumped up on stage to get down to the Brooklyn rapper’s set. Needless to say, we returned home a little beaten up, but beaming.