No one delivers more of a spectacle in a live performance than experimental dance-rockers of Montreal. Their shows utilize costume, performance, projected light, and a barrage of textured pop to provide a multi-sensory experience that induces sensory overload for viewers. Their show last night at the Mohawk closely resembled their last performance at the same venue a few months ago, though may have even expanded the surreal and absurd imagery employed.
Armless creatures with enormous fabric breasts, Skeletor, skeletal totem-like structures, inflatable penises, and a multi-person pope consisting of frontman Kevin Barnes at the top were only a few of the wild scenes to grace the stage. The show always unfolds as a photographer’s nightmare, full of incredible sights always pulsing with too much or too little light to capture the incredibly quick-moving figures onstage. At some point, Barnes lost his shirt and spent the rest of the show bare-chested, draped in a sheer, silky, patterned scarf.
The crowd at the show consisted of some of the exact same concertgoers who I saw at the last show, a testament to the band’s devoted fanbase. As string and ribbons covered Barnes from head to toe at the set’s end, fans grasped wildly for the streamers. of Montreal’s setlist contained usual crowd favorites such as “Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse,” “Suffer For Fashion,” and “She’s A Rejector.” Despite their frequent touring and recent Austin appearances, of Montreal can pack a house and excite a crowd better than any other band making music.
All photos © Bryan Parker and Pop Press International. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
