ARTS & CULTURE
8 Obiter Dicta
Review of Osheaga 2014
Music and magic in Montreal
sam michaels › managing editor
T
his year’s Osheaga Music and Arts Festival
went above and beyond to deliver a musical
and interactive experience that wowed fes tivalgoers and provided musicians with one
of Canada’s biggest and best audiences. A well organized and curated Isle Sainte-Helene proved an excellent setting for bands and DJs from a variety of genres.
Bands took to a number of stages spread out between
concession stands, chill spots and activity areas. The
weekend was an awesome, wild ride. Here are the
highlights from some of my favourite performances.
Sam Roberts Band
Our first show of the festival, Canadian act Sam
Roberts, kicked things off in smooth style, playing through his collection of hits with ease. The first
chords of “Bridge to Nowhere,” “Where Have All The
Good People Gone,” and of course, “Brother Down,”
all received huge cheers from the crowd. New hits
“Human Heat” and “We’re All In This Together” were
well-received. It was an overall solid show, as Roberts
showed control of both his old and new material,
guiding his band through extended jams for some of
the songs.
Outkast
The sole rap headliner of the festival, Outkast jumped
into their Friday night set with their standard huge
opening of “B.O.B”. Rocketing through their set in
just over an hour and a half, Andre 3000 and Big
Boi showed no
rust on their continuing reunion
tou r. D raw i n g
from their entire
discography, Outkast played hits including “Rosa
Parks,” “SpottieOttieDopaliscious,” “Crumblin’
Erb,” and “Elevators” to the delight of long-time
fans. Obligatory pop hits “Mrs. Jackson,” “Roses,”
“Hey Ya,” and “So Fresh and So Clean” kept the
crowd moving through the show, as Andre and Boi
traded verses and songs all night. It was a great performance from two of hip hop’s best, clearly still on
top of their game.
performer over the weekend. Headlining a new band
and debuting a new album, White kept a dedicated eye
and ear on everything and everyone around him to
ensure perfection in both sound and experience. The
results were awesome, as White led his band through
new interpretations of old hits “Hardest Button To
Button,” “Seven
Nation A rmy,”
and “Fell In Love
With A Girl,” and
guided the crowd
through the various moods and layers of his discography. The attention to detail and meticulous control
White exhibited over his band led to a uniquely settled sound, and he seemed more comfortable on stage
than he had been with outfits Dead Weather or The
Raconteurs. Jack White showed off the full extent of
his sound and song selection with one of the best performances of the weekend.
“The weekend was an awesome,
wild ride . . .”
Other Friday Notables: Foster The People, Chromeo,
Childish Gambino
Jack White
Taking the main stage for the Saturday night spot,
Jack White took over the festival like no other
t humbs UP
Craig Rozynski for finally putting the ‘sans’ in
Comic Sans with Comic Neue.
Other Saturday Notables: Phantogram, Reignwolf,
J Cole
Half Moon Run
Quebec natives and up-and-coming band Half Moon
Run took to the main stage late Sunday afternoon
to one of the best crowds of the festival. The growing popularity (which has been steadily increasing
since the release of their album, Dark Eyes) of the
four-piece act which was visible as fans engaged with
the band throughout the show. Half Moon Run blend
folk, rock, and indie music in a fresh and interesting
new way, with an organic and melodic sound brought
together only by keys, guitar, bass, and drums. Their
hit song “Full Circle” had the whole crowd singing, while other hits “Judgement,” “Call Me In The
Afternoon,” and “She Wants To Know” were all met
» see osheaga, page 11
ê Left: International gypsy punk band, Gogol Bordello, keeps the energy in the crowd soaring high. Right: Fans enj