Reviews > Shows

Osheaga Music Festival 2012

Saturday’s 35-degree heat (that’s about 95 for you Americans) was no deterrent for the Osheagans, as Canadian trio Plants and Animals took their self-described “post-rock” sound to the next level, making lots of new fans with an extremely soulful and resonant, but up-tempo set. They have a very “quarter-life-crisis” vibe to them, with existential yet down-to-earth, contemporary lyrics that seemed to click with many in that age group. During the song Good Friend, with the lyrics, “It takes a good friend to say you’ve got your head up your ass,” people were looking around at each other, nodding their heads and going, “That’s true,” and “Ya, for sure!” It was a fun moment in which the band really seemed to connect.

The water canons also came out for the first time during this set, and that’s when people really started having fun at Osheaga. There’s something about a sea of mud at a music fest that really turns things up a notch, Woodstock-style.

Young the Giant kept the ball rolling after Plants and Animals on the adjacent stage (the two big stages were set up side-by-side and alternated bands all weekend, while the three smaller stages were on the other side of the park over the staircase). After a more melodic, trippy My Morning Jacket-esque evening set at Ottawa Bluesfest a few weeks ago, this one was all energy and rockin’ in the sunshine, allowing the guys in this California outfit to really showcase the Wilco-style simplicity and catchiness of their music and focus less on their visuals.

Canadian rockers the Arkells were one of the highlights of the festival, making a ton of new fans with their easy-to-love rock and roll. After seeing these guys several times over the past few years they are definitely on the list of bands I’ll always see live, along with fellow Canadian artists Wintersleep, who performed on Friday, and the Sheepdogs.

While Snoop Dogg (or Lion, pardon me) closed out the main stage Saturday night, the Sheepdogs, from rural Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, opened many peoples’ eyes. They are a revelation. They’re easily the best jam band to come out of Canada since the Guess Who (if you can even put them in that category), and at times on Saturday it felt like I was listening to the Allman Brothers. In fact, wearing one of my Grateful Dead t-shirts, someone came up to me during the show and asked if the set was giving me my “Dead fix,” which it definitely was. It actually sounded like they were teasing Jessica several times throughout the set, though it may have just been a similar riff. Either way, remember the Sheepdogs, and see them now while they’re still playing small stages. I’m excited these guys are Canadian.

I did manage to continue my ongoing dub-ducation at Osheaga, with SBTRKT, Little Dragon, Canadian duo Zeds Dead, Huoratron and the Zombie Disco Party. I’ve said it before and ill say it again: it’s not quite “music,” but there is something to dub-step I can get behind. It’s like a series of lights, sounds and noises that mimic the electrical impulses my brain sends to my muscles and forces them to juke and jive and dance and move in all directions. Just go with it.

Which is exactly what most people did on Sunday, as the heat subsided and the skies opened up during the Shins fabulous afternoon set that had me thinking, “These guys sound like a young R.E.M. combined with that trippy, meandering Beatles-Revolver-era sound, like Tomorrow Never Knows.” Throw in a little Queen-style pop, to taste. I had a lot of fun watching the Shins, and was definitely glad I brought my poncho – “I’m almost as wet as you guys!” teased lead singer James Mercer. Note to the Osheaga organizers – you don’t need water canons after a torrential downpour. Just sayin’.

While City and Colour droned on and on, Bloc Party and the Black Angels brought the funk and the rock, respectively. Canadian favourite Metric, who were once based in Montreal and have a huge following there, continue to cement themselves as one of the most popular bands in the nation. They did a good job warming up the crowd for the Black Keys, who pulled out all the stops and left pretty much everyone hoarse and jello-legged from jumping up and down and belting out their highly sing-able tunes. They actually played 19 songs from their whole catalogue, old and new, and virtually everyone in the crowd heard the tune they wanted.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the incredible showcase of Canadian talent displayed at Osheaga, and congratulate both the festival organizers for their faith in Can-con and the bands, for putting on such a great show. Metric, Feist (who put on a very bluesy and entertaining show, in which someone brought a palm tree that managed to crowd-surf all the way onto the stage beside her), City and Colour, The Weeknd, Plants and Animals, Zeds Dead, Radio Radio, the Sheepdogs, Classified, Down With Webster, the Arkells, Kathleen Edwards, Wintersleep, Yukon Blonde, Dan Mangan, Young Galaxy, and many more. The future of Canadian music is in good hands.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend of music and was extremely successful, to boot. There are a few things event organizers should take from this experience, and perhaps limit the tickets to 100,000 next year, while opening that road would do wonders. There could also be three or four times as many concession stands, beer tents and water stations. After all, you want all those out-of-towners to try poutine, right? But no cranes next year – give us a new question and keep the surprises coming.