Categories: Live ReviewsMusic

Anderson .Paak closed out The Montreal International Jazz Fest with a bang

Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals
Montreal International Jazz Festival
July 8, 2017

“Bonjour, motherfuckers!”

With that greeting early on in Anderson .Paak’s giant outdoor closing set for the Montreal International Jazz Fest, it was clear that the LA musician had the mega crowd in the palm of his hand. With the threat of a thunderstorm skipping the evening show right over, Paak and his backing band The Free Nationals unleashed an 80-minute set of slinky soul & R&B-infused hip hop that firmly showed Paak can command a crowd that squeezed into every nook and cranny of the huge outdoor site.

Tracks from Paak’s 2016 Malibu LP broadened their sound with the full band arrangement, including a large chunk of the show with Paak on drums, during which he continued to rap while knocking out a full-on drum solo. He stayed on the drums for the earnest “Put me Through,” which he dedicated to his mother. “Make some noise if you love your mama!” he commanded with a smile, a classy shout-out that you don’t necessarily hear at every hip hop show.

Selecting a young artist like Paak to close out the festival was an inspired choice, and the throngs of teens losing their minds in front of the stage bodes well for the future of Jazz Fest as an outlet for new and boundary-pushing acts (alongside the traditional jazz + blues standbys).

Scroll below to check out our photos from the night, including local openers Busty and the Bass, courtesy of Jason Hughes.

Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals

Busty and the Bass

Gabriel Sigler

Share
Published by
Gabriel Sigler

Recent Posts

SXSW 2025 Review: Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie

Hilarious and blissfully insane, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is one of the…

1 week ago

SXSW 2025 Review: It Ends

Stuck on a terrifying road trip, four young adults try to escape their Lynchian nightmare…

2 weeks ago

SXSW 2025 Review: Clown in a Cornfield

Clown in a Cornfield is a thrilling horror-comedy hybrid from director Eli Craig (of Tucker…

2 weeks ago

SXSW 2025: 10 Films to Catch at This Year’s Festival

We highlight 10 movies to catch at this year's SXSW Film & TV Festival including…

3 weeks ago

Captain America: Brave New World Review: The MCU Needs a Shake-Up

If this is the best that the MCU can do after 35 films, it may…

1 month ago

Folk Alliance International Brings Hundreds of Musicians to Montreal This Week

The Folk Alliance International conference brings hundreds of folk-related acts to downtown Montreal this week,…

1 month ago