Osheaga Update: That's A Wrap...

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, including a great music festival - and Montreal's Osheaga was surely that. It had its ups and downs, there are some things festival organizers will surely learn from, but those things were all logistical. I can honestly say there wasnt a single band during the course of the three days of the fest that disappointed me, and several i was pleasantly surprised by. Sure, it was extremely hot, incredibly crowded, there were not nearly enough beer tents and the layout was brutal, but the music was phenomenal. All the detriments were logistic, not music. So ill just have to go back next year when they've got it all sorted out.

Some highlights of day 3:

- The Shins - great show, i was very impressed. They remind me of a young REM, mixed with some Revolver-era Beatles (that trippy, melodic guitar sound like Tomorrow Never Knows) with some of the up-tempo beats reminiscent of Queen.
- all the metal heads gathered for some head banging at the Black Angels, who put on a great show with lots of diversity and musical tangents away from their cacophonous metal sound, which i enjoyed
- did you know Bloc Party is British? I didnt. This band needs a more ambitious sound if they want to really break through, they sound too much like everyone else who's popular right now. I could say the same thing for Of Mice and Men, even the Shins.
- Metric put on almost exactly the same show as they did three weeks ago at Ottawa Bluesfest, which i really enjoyed, with a slightly different set list and less banter to the crowd, which was much bigger due to their Montreal roots.
- Black Keys = Awesome. Fantastic. Amazing. Second-best Keys show ive ever seen, after my first one. Those guys just know how to party.

Stay tuned for a full festival review and, of course, my favourite segment that focuses on crazy, hilarious drunk/stoned people at festivals, "Overheard at the Festival."


Overheard at Osheaga:

- “You’re washing your feet in that?”

- “You’re gonne be here for a long time – longer than City and Colour played for.”
- "Who do you have to bribe to get a street closed around here?"

- “It’s 2012! The Apocalypse is coming!”

          - “We’ve been saying it’s 2012 since before it was 2012, and we’ll be saying it after.”

- “Everywhere serves till 3 oclock!”

- “Maybe I should get cash, I have like zero dollars."

          - “I have at least twenty…”

- (sung at the top of her lungs) “Gilles Du-ceppe, charged me 10 dollars for a ci-ga-rette...”

- “I didn’t go to Bluesfest this year, that was my identical twin sister.”

- “He’s doing the slow walk…”

          - “He knows the slow walk well…”