M for Montreal 2023 Put a Musical Metropolis on Display: Recap + Photos
The post M for Montreal 2023 Put a Musical Metropolis on Display: Recap + Photos appeared first on Consequence.
It may not seem so from the outside, but the music industry is a fairly small world. Rarely is there more than one degree of separation between an “I know them from this” or an “Oh, we emailed about that.” At the same time — and this is not the same thing — it can be pretty insular.
See, it’s one thing to know bands coming up in your own city, but only the most dedicated (read: obsessive) could name the local talent popping up in Melbourne or Madrid or Montreal. Heck, as a New Yorker, I couldn’t tell you what’s going on down in Richmond, Virginia, and that’s 100 miles closer than the Quebec metropolis I visited last week for M for Montreal.
This simply illustrates that, as tight as this world can be, events like M remain uniquely important. South by Southwest does its part introducing fresh talent from around the world to music industry professionals, but that’s a conference that takes over a city. M for Montreal instead takes an immersive approach, inviting delegates to explore the culture of the vibrant art hub while being introduced to a vast array of artists from across Canada.
More than just a marathon festival, however, the conference element of M for Montreal is equally valuable. Every element of this vital industry we call music struggles with constant, unpredictable challenges. Yet there are thousands of talented, hardworking folks giving their all to keep music scenes alive, to get their art heard, and to continuously give fans something to be excited about (and, yes, to support the business of it all). Any event that brings these people together to learn from each other and build new bridges deserves its flowers — even if it’s held in the dead of fall above 45-degrees North.
While I’ll keep my new worldwide contacts to myself, there were plenty of musicians who played the various showcases whose talents should be shared far beyond the border. The nightly Official Selection shows were at venues conveniently situated across the street from each other, allowing you to, for example, bop in and out of the club vibe of Ausgang Plaza and the worn opulence of Théâtre Plaza throughout the night. Wednesday saw those spots showcasing a range of talent, from the blind, Oji-Cree, self-produced emo-trap rapper Mattmac to the Saskatchewan indie folk artist Ellen Froese.
Super Plage with Virginie B, photo by Ben Kaye
This sort of delightful variety gave a real flavor of Canada’s vast scene. It also opened the door to the Montreal community’s collaborative nature, as when electropop artist Super Plage was joined by Virginie B for a Club Soda set on Thursday. Super Plage, aka Jules Henry, is known for his team-ups with French-singing female artists on nu-disco bangers, so seeing him play with Virginie (who would later take the stage at Consequence’s own showcase) was a treat. The dance vibes were so hot that it seemed Henry stripped back a new layer of clothes between each song.
Across the way at Café Cléopâtre, Vancouver hip-hop artist Teon Gibbs delivered a smooth set with his three-piece band, a high-energy, groove-filled affair. Next, HAWA B’s Club Soda set captured the uniqueness of Montreal’s scene. A blend of jazz, soul, and alternative rock delivered with a severe, almost gothic beauty, HAWA B’s whole presentation was 100% vibe. She stalked the stage, dragging and tossing her stool about, whipping her hair like so much Shibari rope. Even if her vocals were mixed too low under the onslaught of electronics and sax from her sole backing musician, HAWA B was a fully captivating presence.
After checking out the final Official Selection with the weird and weirdly enjoyable VioleTT Pi on Friday, it was off to catch some of the MARATHON elements of M. It began with the Arts & Crafts-presented show at Le Ministère, with balming sets from Katie Tupper and Georgia Hammer, before heading off to the famed Mothland showcase at La Sala Rossa. Beloved for its art-punk ethos, the label/booking agency has a reputation for putting on can’t-miss shows, and even catching half their M presentation made it easy to see why.
HAWA B, photo by Ben Kaye
With a second stage built in the center of the Sala Rossa floor and projectors hung from the ceiling for an in-the-round experience, Mothland made the space feel like a true underground venue. The packed in crowd caused so much heat the fire department showed up, but not before Atlanta, Georgia collective CDSM burned down the house in their own figurative fashion. A swarm of synthesizers, growling saxophone, and something that can only be described as gothic disco grooves were all part of the freakiest, wildest, most fascinating set I caught at M. Perhaps it’s odd to journey to Montreal to discover a Southern US band, but that’s just a testament to the unique community Mothland has fostered.
For more local talent, there was the newly minted supergroup La Sécurité, made up of members from Choses Sauvages, Laurence-Anne, Silver Dapple, DATES, and Pressure Pin. Having just released their debut LP in June, the collective is a true representation of the Montreal scene, the disparate artists coming together to create a bilingual, danceable form of post-punk.
Saturday evening saw Consequence take over La Sala Ross, presenting a showcase bill I’ve been assured was one of the week’s strongest. It kicked off with Virginie B, delivering the sultry francophone pop of her solo project to a capacity crowd. With only a bassist by her side, she was able to bring as much fire to the much smaller solo set as she did with Super Plage a few days prior.
Milk & Bone, photo by Ben Kaye
Local favorites Milk & Bone were next, essentially playing an undersell as one of the bigger names at this year’s M. Having gotten their start at the festival almost 10 years ago, the synthpop duo were welcomed back with the smiles and cheers of a fully engaged audience. The pair appeared equally elated to return, joking with each other between their loosely choreographed routines and crystalline harmonies.
Rising pop singer-songwriter dee holt came out next with catchy bops like “sober” and “Picture.” Her voice seemed at once petite and powerful (not unlike a Billie Eilish’s), her delicate delivery giving a lightness to the darker compositions and grounding the lighter ones. The evening — and M for Montreal in general — concluded with the fiery hip-hop duo Cartel Madras. Sisters Bhagya “Eboshi” Ramesh and Priya “Contra” Ramesh delivered a house version of hip-hop that’d be hard to label if they hadn’t already dubbed it Goonda Rap. In-your-face, queer, punk-indebted, it’s the kind of hardcore rap that makes you want to fight, fuck, dance, smoke, or somehow do it all at once. Whatever it was, the crowd wanted more of it, as they demanded an encore and were treated to a number of off-the-cuff song choices from the sibling stars in the making.
While you truly had to be there to get the full enrichment provided by M for Montreal, you can check out a full gallery of some highlights below.
M for Montreal 2023 Put a Musical Metropolis on Display: Recap + Photos
Ben Kaye
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