Discovery of the day: Typhoon
Most deserving of future fame: Frightened Rabbit
Best live act: The Tragically Hip
Most outrageous act: The Flaming Lips
Another summer, another spectacular edition of Osheaga. Though I only had the privilege to attend our growing festival on the Sunday, it still feels like one of the best ways to soak in the best music to hit the Montreal festival season. To kick things off, Typhoon wasn't even on my radar but their big sound drew me in right as I crossed the gates.The Portland megaband (in size, not yet in stardom) feels like a civil war (in size as well as civility) that blends equal parts of Beirut, The Decemberists and Noah & The Whale. I quickly fell in love and made a mental note to dive deeper once the day was over. Following that, I was treated to the raw fun of Frightened Rabbit, one of the acts that I was most excited to catch, and they did not disappoint. With grit that only true Scots could bring to our side of the Atlantic, Frightened Rabbit brought out every one their uniquely catchy riffs making strangers believers and doing nothing to shake my faith in them as a future powerhouse. And as far as past powerhouses go, Canada has little to top the raw energy of The Hip. I admit that there was a time when I didn't get the hype, a feeling that I was reminded of by my neophyte friend. I turned to him, after having been soaked by hit after hit after hit as well as a giant hose and clearly, he didn't get it. "It'll come", I said "Just let the dust settle", which I believed from experience. Many great acts peppered our day of discovery and rediscovery .Other standouts were Beirut and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, disappointments included Death Cab's weak and tech-troubled set and noise-ridden Smith Westerns. But it was the Flaming Lips who we reluctantly decided to stick around for when the set and prop set up simply became impossible to ignore. Let's be honest, who else but Wayne Coynes do you know who crowd surfs in a giant transparent ball. I can't say that I'm a believer yet but wow, what a performance.
A bientot, Osheaga.
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