Like many in the sold-out crowd, I knew what to expect from of Montreal. Kevin Barnes and company would be decked to the finest; Barnes would jump and dance all over the Paradise stage; and an array of creatures would regularly try to lure Barnes into sex, death, or both. And the crowd--many likewise decked out with bright bows, skinny headbands, and sparkles--were ready to sing, dance, and absorb what they could of the sensory overloading spectacle before them.
What they perhaps didn't expect was a thoroughly entertaining warm-up set from of Montreal band member Kishi Bashi, who with his violin, his voice, and his looping pedal, had the packed crowd cheering and dancing from the start. Mixing looped vocals, beat-boxing, and picked and strung violin, Bashi dazzled and quickly won over the crowd (being recognized from a beloved band certainly helped the warm reception). After the set ended, I heard numerous hyperbolic, almost manic, responses--"That was amazing!;" "I haven't heard anything so provocative in years!"--so Bashi is quickly earning some well-deserved fans on this tour. Bashi will release his debut album 151a this month, and it should not be missed.
Going into the show, I was most excited to finally see Emil Svanängen, aka Loney Dear, perform live. I've been listening to Emil for years, and find his spin on orchestral indie pop to be creative, enjoyable, and at times, moving. In my excitement, it hadn't occurred to me that he was a terrible tour match for his (new) labelmates of Montreal. Accompanied by an accordion player, Emil looped vocals, guitars, and some percussion, offering a rich, emotional, sobering set. Unfortunately, the crowd didn't want rich, emotional, sobering music--they had just danced to Bashi and wanted to keep the party going. Loney Dear's songs were drowned out by the crowd's talking, and walking through the crowd, I couldn't find more than a handful of attentive listeners. I'll keep listening to Emil's albums, and anticipate his next US tour, when he's (hopefully) booked with better-fitting tourmates and venues.
Check out Loney Dear's music below (as well as Kishi Bashi and of Montreal, but really, guys: for all of you who didn't pay attention when he played the Paradise, listen to Loney Dear).
This player (polyvinylrecords.com) didn’t survive.