Day 2: Nothing can prevent us from rockin’…ok maybe one thing
As I got out of the metro station for Day 2, I already noticed more people lining up to get in than yesterday, but unlike last year where it was clear that people were lining up for Chappell Roan, this “Sold Out Saturday”, the hype was spread over a few acts on the schedule
Hologramme
I decided to start my day again at the Cola stage where another Montreal producer had the task to be the first act of Saturday. Hologramme gave us a more musical approach, a little less focused on beats, which was similar to last night’s performance by Barry Can’t Swim. We even got the chance to hear a brand new song that will be soon released on Anjunabeats (Major Record label from the UK focused on Electronic and Trance music). While it didn’t get the crowd as much “dancing” that most of the acts on the Cola stage, it was a very nice and chill way to start the day, and judging by all the head bopping through the crowd, he gained a lot of fans during that 40 minute timeslot.
Alex Warren
When I said that the reason that Saturday was sold out was because of a few acts (and not just one BIG one), Alex was one of them. Alex Warren’s first performance in Montreal (he was scheduled to play earlier this Spring, but health troubles prevented him from doing so), and the (BIG) crowd was ready for it. Singing every single word, to the point where Alex himself was baffled by the reaction. My schedule only allowed 30 minutes for him, so I expected to miss most of his hits, as he would keep them for the end. But after the second or third songs into his set, I realised that this guy has a LOT of hits. A “kinda” funny moment happened while he was presenting “Save You A Seat”, which is a tribute to his parents (who both passed away), and that’s when he noticed a fan with a sign “My Dad is dead too”, which made everyone (Alex included) chuckled a little. If you weren’t there, I strongly suggest catching him at this year’s Sommo Festival where he’ll play just before Hozier!
Béli
Passing by the SiriusXM stage for a performance by Béli. After releasing a few singles here and there in the last few years, they finally went on and released a full album in 2024. The energy that was present was on overdrive with the lead singer not staying put for like more than 2 seconds while the band went through a mix of electro pop which at some point in the 2000s/2010s was THE style in the Quebec province. For that 30 minutes, I felt like I was back in an older version of Osheaga (2009/2010). They were the perfect type of band for this type of “Showcase” stage as it helps discover new acts that don’t really have a chance on local radio…plus that stage had a roof to protect us from the sun!
Kaleo
If you think about Iceland music, most of the time, you’ll think of weird or post rock like Björk or Sigur Rós, but lately, the style of Blues/Indie Rock takes a bigger place, thanks mostly to Kaleo. For their 2nd Osheaga performance (first one 2016), they started with “Break My Baby”, in which they just settled in and did their things, to the joy of another big crowd waiting for them. For the 25 minutes I stayed, they kept the groove going, minus a few breaks, thanking the crowd for being there, but other than that, it was all about the music playing mostly stuff from their breakthrough album “A/B”, but also a few from their latest album “Mixed Emotions”. It was a “Festival set” at his finest!
Whitney
I had to move to the secondary stages (which is about a 10 minute walk), and was planning to be there for a while. First off, Chicago band Whitney came on stage with their indie folk that just felt right for a middle afternoon timeslot. Led by drummer Julien Ehrlich, the band went through their set on a breeze like a well run machine, even presenting a new single from an album that will be out in November. They would be the perfect fit for a Harvest Festival set or maybe the HUFF.
Future Islands
In my original schedule planning, I was supposed to do some back and forth to catch Future Islands performance, but also some Shaboozey, but when Future Island announced earlier this week in an interview that it would be their last show before taking a “very long” break for a new album, I felt that I needed to stay put, and I’m very glad I did. You hear/watch Youtube videos of the band with the focus on lead singer Sam Herring, but you need to see it live to fully “feel it”. From the very first note of “King of Sweden”, he simply took control of the stage! Either by his usual dancing around, over the top intensity, and even some death metal growl! I was really enjoy it…until, well I guess we can say that the electronic didnt followed from time to time. He would go on some vocal rant only to be cut off by his microphone. While not a deal breaker, it did somehow tarnish part of the performance. And of course finishing with the amazing “Seasons” was the cap to an amazing 50 minutes performance.
TV On The Radio
For a band that has been around for a long time, I was surprised to learn that it was their very first Osheaga performance. It was also their first Montreal performance in over 10 years (which was about the same time as their last album “Seeds”). So with no new album, the band came in and delivered us a “greatest hit” set covering all of their 5 albums. My highlight was when they played “Happy Idiot” which has always been a favorite of mine. Putting their performance right after Future Islands was another stroke of genius by Evenko, as yes it’s fun to mix things up, but sometimes, you just want to chill at the same spot for 2-3 performances with similar vibe artists.
BBNO$
Still at the secondary stages, for one of the most sought out acts of the day (to give an idea, my step daughter who pretty much only listens to metal was jealous of me seeing him). Canadian, and winner of the Fan Choice Award at this year’s Junos, BBNO$ came in with a literal circus! We’re talking jugglers,contortionists, acrobats, everything. At some point I was expecting animals to come on stage. All that with BBNO$ acting as the “Master of Ceremony”, and performing the hits, and does he have plenty of that! It was another example of “Wait!?! That’s him too!?” Each song was just making people dance and having a really good time! From the start with “it boy” and through the end with “lalala”, it was non stop energy! Even his tradition of giving away a “cookbook” magazine got a loud reaction! BBNO$ truly delivers an amazing performance, where people wanted more! The type that will make you want to see him again if he comes back to the area in the near future.
After BBNO$’s performance I headed to the main stage area, hoping to catch a glimpse of Gracie Abrams’s set. She was another singer that a lot of fans camped at the gate for. Thinking I had plenty of time to watch her, I decided to head for a quick pit stop to be fully ready for the headliner right after. As I was heading to the stage to get a good spot, the rain started to drop. Nothing wrong with that, but when it started growling and we saw a few lightning here and there, we knew it was trouble, and we were right. As I was about to take my spot, Evenko decided to put the festival on pause and asked everyone to get into safety. Much to the dismay of Gracie Abrams fans who still had 20-25 minutes left of her performance.
So for a good 30 minutes, everyone was in limbo as to what would happen next, as the 11PM curfew was still present regardless how much time was left for Tyler The Creator. Then the announcement finally came that we were allowed to get back on the stage, while Tyler’s crew were preparing the final setup for his show, which thankfully was only like 10-15 minutes late.
Tyler, The Creator
Having JUST performed at the Bell Centre two weeks prior (Sold out show nonetheless), it would be interesting to see what type of show rapper Tyler, The Creator would bring to the Osheaga crowd. We did get an idea a few weeks before when he surprised everyone with the release of a brand new album “Don’t Tap The Glass”, so fans were expecting to hear a few songs from that, while not neglecting his amazing previous album Chromakopia. We got our answers very quickly as the Chromakopia banner was replaced with a “Don’t Tap The Glass” banner mere minutes before the show would start. So when the intro to the very first song “Big Poe” started through the speakers, we knew it wasn’t going to be the same show as two weeks ago. Tyler arrived on stage (which was mostly a big truck container with the banner on it), and went on and sang the first song of his new album with so much energy, it didn’t take much to get the crowd going and forgot about the thunderstorm’s delay. After “Sugar on My Tongue”, he went one with a few from Chromakopia, singing and dancing like there’s no tomorrow. It was only after the 7th song of the set, that Tyler started his interaction with the crowd. Visibly out of breath with all the dancing (it was also his 3rd show in 3 days, and also his 22nd in 1 month), he went on to explain that he doesn’t really like playing his old songs, but knowing that his fans really want them, he puts a few into his set, to let the crowd sing along while he catches his breath, singing snippets of it, and dancing as well. From what I’ve been reading, his fans don’t seem to mind it, and it gets the party going. And that’s how I think we should see Tyler’s show, as one big party, as long as he doesn’t do that the entire show (I’m looking at you Justin Timberlake). Thankfully after a few “sing along” he went back to the singing/dancing with a few more songs from his latest albums, before finishing up with the amazing “New Magic Wand” and “See You Again”,I was hearing them perfectly clear as I was heading to the metro station.
With that, Day 2 was in the book. Another day of eclectic music, good time, and chill vibe, even with the delay, it didn’t tone down the fun that the 55k people had. Speaking 55k, I’m always surprised by how the flow of the people leaving on site. Yes, there’s a “jam” but given that most of the crowd takes the metro to leave the site, it’s pretty amazing to think that I was in my car (parked at another station), in not even 30 minutes is a surprising feat.