This was such a fun and memorable day.
A friend asked if I wanted to see Beach House at Club Soda, and I was like, “Hell yeah!” There was no way I was going to miss that opportunity since I love their music. Also, a band like Beach House rarely comes to Ottawa—unless maybe they’re playing something big like RBC Bluesfest.
The show was completely sold out and the venue was packed with hipsters :P.
Opening the show was Poor Moon. I wasn’t familiar with them at first until my friend told me that two of the members are also in Fleet Foxes. I ended up really enjoying their set.
Their music had that indie folk-pop-rock sound. I loved the use of the xylophone, which reminded me a bit of Freelance Whales. Of course, you could still hear a bit of the Fleet Foxes influence in the vocals. Overall, it was a brilliant and wonderful opening set.
Finally, it was Beach House’s turn to take the stage.
I was really excited for this set. The last time I saw them was at Osheaga Music and Arts Festival a few years ago, but that was an outdoor show and a much shorter performance. This time it was indoors with a full set, and the sound and lighting were incredible.
The whole experience felt almost otherworldly with the songs they played. One surprise was hearing “Equal Mind,” the B-side from Lazuli.
It was also the first time I heard Victoria Legrand speak between songs, and she addressed the crowd in French. She has such a gentle speaking voice, which contrasts beautifully with the powerful and atmospheric way she sings.
They played a lot of songs from Bloom and Teen Dream. Hearing tracks like “Lazuli,” “Walk in the Park,” “Used to Be,” “Zebra,” and “Myth” made the night even better. I couldn’t have been happier.
It was definitely one of the best shows I’ve seen this year. If you missed it, you really missed out.
On a side note, before heading to the concert, my friend and I stopped by Schwartz’s Deli.
Low and behold, Celine Dion and her husband walked into the place. I was completely starstruck and shocked. At least now I can say that Celine Dion bought me dinner!
That was quite a day in Montreal.
Here are some short clips I took from the Beach House concert:
