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Osheaga Report: Day 2

11:48 p.m. · September 5, 2006 · by Justin Sheppard

Given the nature of the event, it was impossible to catch every noteworthy act, so don't expect an all-encompassing report. Also, I wont bore you with any kind deep analysis, or exhaustive setlist summaries. What you will get is a quick '''n''' dirty summary of my thoughts on the acts that I did catch and just because arbitrary quantification of art is fun AND informative I'll grade each performance on the Prefix scale. You can also expect a bunch of pictures, and maybe a few other little goodies. Enjoy!

Previously:Osheaga Report Day 1 (Now updated with more audio performances)
You can thank various intrepid recorders at Montreal Shows for the recordings.

Rain, rain go away...Day two at Osheaga was a test of willpower at times, with the dreary weather putting a damper on the festivities at times. Still, despite the soggy conditions, there were a number of great performances that even Mother Nature couldn't spoil.

Islands: River Stage (2:15-3:00)
Absolutely criminal how these guys were practically given curtain jerker duties. Islands put on a really lively set that passed way too quickly. The dancing guys with the manaquin heads were a nice touch. There was a lot of new material tossed into the set, but the crowd was still really responsive. Great way to start the day. Also, I don't know who the new violin player is, but I approve...
Download their performance
Score: 4/5

Tokyo Police Club: Pop Montreal Stage (3:00-3:30)
Man these guys are young. Still, can't hold that against them, and they did put on a pretty good set. I was both curious and apprehensive of these guys with all the hype they've been getting in some circles, and my final thoughts are similarly mixed. They need to work on their stage pressence, and the songwriting isn't quite top-notch yet, but there's some definite raw talent to be found in their raw sound.
Score: 3/5

Wolf Parade: River Stage (3:45-4:30)
Poor guys had all kinds of problems with their equipment, so they couldn't start their set on time. I waited around as long as I could, but I promised myself that Final Fantasy was one of the acts that I wasn't going to miss that day. I only managed to hear "You Are A Runner" before I had to bail, and it sounded, well, off. People I spoke to said the sound problems plagued the whole set. Really too bad. They deserved a better showing.
Score: n/a

Final Fantasy: MEG Stage (4:15-5:00)
Absolutely amazing performance. Owen Pallett is a virtuoso. A mixture of skill and unexplainable magnetism allowed a skinny white guy with a violin standing alone onstage to mesmerize the crowd. This could have been a main stage performance, easily. The crowd went nuts when he pulled out his traditional cover of Mariah Carey's "Fantasy." I'm still not sick of hearing it, and I hope I never get to that point.
Score: 4.5/5

The Hidden Cameras: MEG Stage (5:30-6:15)
I had mixed feelings about these guys. It's not that their performance was bad, if anything, quite the opposite. The band was super energetic, bouncing around on stage to match their jangly indie pop sound. So much so, that most of my pictures wound up blurry and unusable. The crowd was really hot for them too, but something about the songs just didn't do much for me. What the hell, I'll split the difference.
Score: 3.25/5

The Bell Orchestre: MEG Stage (7:00-7:45)
My one real dissapointment was that these guys were playing at the same time as Damian Marley, but I made my choice and I hold no regrets. The fact that they played a beautiful set helps make this a more tenable position. Soaring, itense, inspiring stuff. Who says orchestral music is stuffy?
Download Their Performance
Score: 4/5

The Flaming Lips: Mountain Stage (8:15-9:30)
Holy good fuck what a way to end the festival (OK, technically Ben Harper was the final act, but I didn't want to stick around and risk my perfect ending.) Really, what can I say that the pictures don't already? Was their performance blatant and over-the-top in order to get a cheap pop from the crowd? Well, sure. If you have a problem with that though, you really have no business at a music festival. Lighten up.
Download Their Performance
Score: 5/5

This past weekend I had the chance to attend the inaugural Osheaga Music Festival at Parc Jean Drapeau in Montreal. For those unaware, Osheaga brought together fifty acts across four stages Saturday and Sunday. Today concludes a two-part feature, chronicling my impressions of the festival.