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Osheaga 2016 Festival Review: The 10 Best Songs

Red Hot Chili Peppers and Radiohead make Montréal’s flagship festival so special

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Osheaga 2016 Festival Review: The 10 Best Songs

    When Osheaga booked Radiohead for the band’s only slated Canadian performance in support of A Moon Shaped Pool, festival co-founder Nick Farkas said, “I can pretty much retire now.” Landing Thom Yorke and co. proved to be the most important coup given that Disclosure canceled their penultimate set on Sunday evening due to travel issues. Radiohead saved the day by starting their sprawling performance 15 minutes early to the massive crowd’s excitement.

    From Friday afternoon to the final set on Sunday, you couldn’t have asked for better weather, with three consecutive sunny days that hovered in the low 80s Fahrenheit. Food options abounded at the scenic Parc Jean-Drapeau, with poutine as far as the eye could see. The new water fountain installation became a popular meeting point for revelers to cool off in the heat of the afternoon. Mobile phone charging stations, relaxation areas, and free WiFi were all available so fans could stay rested and connected. And aside from the collection of renowned international musicians, the fest also featured prominent hometown artists like Wolf Parade, Kaytranada, and Half Moon Run.

    Osheaga - Killian Young (13)

    Outside of the ideal setting, there were a few bumps throughout the weekend. Last year I noted how difficult it was to exit the island since there’s only one train line for public transport, but this year I made a concerted effort to position myself by the exit when the headliners were finishing. Being embedded in the crowd versus already moving when the festival ended made a world of difference between making it to the train station unimpeded versus getting stuck in a slow-moving line. Disappointingly, foot traffic never really seemed to make it all the way to Scène Verte, despite a solid set of performers that included St. Lucia, Best Coast, and The Last Shadow Puppets. The stage area filled out well enough during Future’s set, but even then, a stage manager opened the near-empty VIP section for general admission fans to give a fuller appearance for the front of the crowd.

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    Attendance at the pair of main stages (Scène de la Montagne and Scène de la Rivière), on the other hand, was strong throughout the weekend, with all three headliners drawing fans early on their respective days. Red Hot Chili Peppers delivered a high-energy, crowd-pleasing set filled with their biggest hits, and Lana Del Rey brought her beautiful croon and hypnotic movements. Elsewhere, Grimes gave a gutsy performance, Kaytranada threw a groovy sunset dance party, and Wolf Parade celebrated a triumphant homecoming. So come revisit some of the best songs that soundtracked another memorable weekend in Montréal.

    Killian Young
    Senior Staff Writer


    10. Wolf Parade – “Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts”

    Wolf Parade may have reunited this year at New York’s Bowery Ballroom, but the Montréal natives got their first homecoming at Osheaga. “I’m a little hungover today,” admitted keyboardist Spencer Krug. “Sweat it out, the toxins,” replied guitarist Dan Boeckner. The quartet then jumped into “Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts”, with Boeckner headbanging his shaggy hair as he swayed with the beat. When Krug, Boeckner, and guitarist Dante DeCaro harmonized for the chorus, the band’s undeniable chemistry shone.


    09. The Struts — “Could Have Been Me”

    Asking for crowd participation, especially on smaller stages, is always a calculated risk at festivals. That was certainly not the case for The Struts, who got the afternoon crowd going with their rollicking tracks like “Kiss This” and “Put Your Money on Me”. Led by charismatic lead vocalist Luke Spiller, the British rockers got the audience to do everything from jazz hands to increasingly complicated sound effects to pretty solid results. The soaring “Could Have Been Me” provided an early anthemic track for fans to clap along to. Spiller’s informal poll showed that the crowd was split about 50-50 between people who had and hadn’t seen the band before. As Spiller roared at the end of the stage: “Remember The Struts!”


    08. Kaytranada — “Glowed Up”

    As the sun set over the Saint Lawrence River on Saturday, Kaytranada took the stage at the Scène Piknic Élektronik for one of the longest sets at the electronic stage. The crowd stretched all the way to the rear barricade and spilled out on the side walkways. The hometown DJ/producer grooved through collaborations and his excellent 99.9%, including the lush single “Glowed Up”. As Kaytranada paused the instrumentals, the crowd gladly provided the words from Anderson .Paak’s chorus. With cotton candy skies giving way to the night and neon lasers slicing through the air, there couldn’t have been a more ideal setting.


    07. Cypress Hill — “Insane in the Brain”

    Osheaga yet again showed its admiration for classic hip-hop. In 2015, it was for Nas; in 2016, it was for Cypress Hill, who celebrated the 25th anniversary of their debut album. Throughout the set, drummer Bobo Correa was a highlight, adding additional drum hits, like the crash of cymbals on “Hand on the Pump”. Midway through the set, emcees B-Real and Sen Dog split the audience into two sides, imploring each to get louder than the other, a classic but effective staple of hip-hop sets. Finally the crowd came together to bounce as one to the iconic beat of “Insane in the Brain”.


    06. HAIM — “I Would Die 4 U”

    HAIM have toured frequently at festivals this summer, but the band always bring upbeat energy to their sets. (This actually turned out to be HAIM’s final summer festival date of the year, as they canceled their remaining European dates to focus on wrapping up their next album.) The sisters utilized their dependable opening slate of tracks, “If I Could Change Your Mind” and “Don’t Save Me”. Bass face/banter expert Este Haim has been leading the group’s cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U”, and the audience applauded loudly as the main stage lighting then shifted to a purple hue. This time around, Este even hopped down onto the amps to bring her smooth dances moves closer to the audience. Afterwards, she rejoined her sisters onstage for their signature synchronized swing at the song’s coda.


    05. MisterWives — “Our Own House”

    MisterWives entered to Willy Wonka’s “Pure Imagination” and then provided a sweet afternoon wake-up call, slicing through the heat on Saturday. Singer Mandy Lee was the star of the show, and she brought an electrifying lead performance as she jumped, kicked, and ran her way across the stage. (The band’s lineup also featured a trumpet player and a saxophonist, adding a jazzy feel to some of the tracks.) On closer “Our Own House”, Lee, guitarist Marc Campbell, bassist William Hehir, and drummer Etienne Bowler all joined forces to create an enormous, unified beat. As the song hit an interlude, the audience erupted in applause before Lee kick-started the song again for a final burst of energy.


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