Osheaga day 1 review (Lorde, Justice, MGMT, Milky Chance and more)

Osheaga 2017
Île Notre-Dame
August 3, 2017

Welcome to the new Osheaga: now set on Île Notre-Dame (just across the river from the usual site), with two towering stages facing each other (along with four smaller stages dispersed around) and a massive carpet covered in fake grass. Thousands of Montrealers, out-of-towners, and above all, music lovers of every imaginable fashion style congregating under one place, rain or shine (on this night, mostly rain). They’re prepared to take in the sights, the smells, and most importantly, the sweet, sweet sounds.

Tove Lo

An upbeat personality with an undeniably talented voice. The crowd roared as the intro to her hit song “Habits (Stay High)” began to blast.

Milky Chance

Speaking of the crowd, at the end of the Tove Lo show, they all turned around and ran toward the opposite stage for Milky Chance. Imagine the wildebeest stampede scene from The Lion King, but instead with an army of young, rowdy, loud, and incredibly stylish 20-something year olds. As for Milky Chance, they’re a fit at Osheaga: easy-listening music, with anthem-ready, crowd-friendly songs ready to serenade their listeners.

MGMT

It’s almost easy to forget that MGMT have been doing this for more than a decade. They’re practically old veterans at this event. They’re also the rare example of a band that arguably reached its peak during their debut album (Oracular Spectacular). The marked indifference by the crowd to MGMT’s recent songs compared to the sheer hysteria reserved for their classic songs was evident. It’s nearly impossible not to crack a smile and dance along to  “Time To Pretend,” “Kids,” and “Electric Feel,” three tracks from that perfect little debut album ten years ago that have stood the test of time.

Justice

For a band with such pulsating music, Justice was almost listless during their performance. Despite the impressive light-show theatrics, think of them as a duo without the mysteriously, fascinating aura or stage presence of fellow countrymen Daft Punk.

Lorde

As for the headliner on this night, there’s something almost fitting about listening to Lorde’s sombre pop music under the never-ending, pouring rain. Whether it’s the dark, minimalist beats from her debut album (Pure Heroine), or the more electro-pop synth-heavy tracks from her latest album (Melodrama), Lorde’s intriguing and unmistakable voice reverberates powerfully.The statuesque New Zealander is a confident, elegant, talkative, and attentive performer (she even repeatedly apologized to the crowd for the bad weather). The 20 year-old music prodigy has grown up (and continues to grow) in front of the public eye. And she makes it all look easy.

Stay tuned for our reviews of the Saturday and Sunday Osheaga shows, as well as our photo recaps from the entire weekend.