A live performance by of Montreal has come to be synonymous with visual spectacle, and the group’s performance at the Mohawk on Tuesday night furthered this association with outlandish stage antics and dramatic displays of color and light.
Opener French Horn Rebellion fit the bill well with their dance pop that had the crowd amped by the time the also highly danceable of Montreal took the stage. French Horn Rebellion engaged in plenty of good natured shenanigans such as fighting each other with keyboards and French horns, wandering out through the crowd, and showing off their killer 70s inspired dance moves.
With a catalog as vast as of Montreal’s, the band didn’t waste much time bantering with the crowd, instead opting to deliver songs in rapid succession. The set proved to be a mixture of songs culled from their library and featured several notable hits. In particular, the crowd got pumped for songs played later in the set such as “Suffer for Fashion,” “She’s a Rejector,” and epic closer “The Past Is A Grotesque Animal.”
Behind frontman Kevin Barnes, a veritable parade of oddities took place. Three people covered head to toe in white suits crept onto the stage and began passing a long chain of white hot-dog-like linked balloons that seemed to stretch forever out through the crowd. Later, a group of three inhabited what was essentially a large pillowcase and made flailing movements as light patterns from a projector in the balcony shone upon them. The stage also received visits from several inflatable skeletons and a bald eagle dressed in red, white, and blue with a cape. I was as surprised as you are, yet it seemed to make perfect sense.
of Montreal holds a status as a live show in a top tier of bands. Though perhaps eclipsed slightly by similar performers The Flaming Lips or large scale productions like David Byrne and St. Vincent’s tour, of Montreal consistently puts on some of the most loved and anticipated performances each year. Tuesday night was no exception.
All photos by Bryan Parker. Click any image to open the set in slideshow view.
