We wrap up this series of features recapping our experiences at the 2024 Francos de Montréal festival with a last-minute “bonus” concert – although in hindsight, this 90-minute extravaganza could be regarded as the perfect finale to a memorable vacation.
Prior to making plans to attend the festival, we had no familiarity with the music of the late Jean-Pierre Ferland – a popular Québecois artist whose music transcended generations and touched the hearts of many during a career that blossomed in the early 1960s and continued until his passing this past April.
With just a couple of weeks remaining before we hit the road for Montréal, it was a ‘no-brainer’ to extend our vacation by an extra day when the festival crew added a tribute concert to honor this Canadian icon on an otherwise music-free Tuesday evening. Boasting appearances from many popular Québecois artists – several on our bucket list (Ariane Moffatt, Karkwa, Hubert Lenoir, and Marie-Pierre Arthur) – scrambling to make some travel alterations proved totally worth the time and effort.
Arriving extra early at The Bell Stage to secure our spot ‘on-the-rail’ for this free event, we quickly struck up a conversation with a local couple who willingly provided some insight to not only Ferland’s music, but the importance of his impact on Québecois culture in general. We may have been two lone Anglophones amidst a sea of French-Canadians, but our front row friends welcomed us openly, and seemed genuinely appreciative of our fondness for Francophone music and artists.
As long-time fans of synth-pop artist Ariane Moffatt, we were hoping that in her duty as artistic director for this tribute concert, we would have an opportunity to see her perform – so were naturally delighted when Ariane was introduced behind the keyboards to open the show. Not the keyboards set up on the stage, however, but those on an elevated pedestal directly behind us in the crowd. As we observed Ariane commence with keystrokes to signal Ferland’s “Le petit roi,” our heads swiveled back to the stage as vocals rang out from Karkwa vocalist Louis-Jean Cormier, himself soon accompanied by a fabulous choir consisting of Ariane Roy, Lou-Adriane Cassidy, Marie-Pierre Arthur and Soleil Launière.
Moffatt and the programming team curated an outstanding and perfectly executed show. The production was smooth, and the performances polished as participants rotated in and out to share their interpretations of Ferland’s popular tunes, accompanied by a solid ‘house’ band with full horns section. And with only a handful of true solo pieces, we were witness to many unique artist collaborations – delivered as a duo, as a trio, or more – making this a truly once in a lifetime affair. There was plenty of magic in the air when Vincent Vallières was joined mid-tune by Marie Denise Pelletier, and once again as Karkwa provided a potent soundtrack during Hubert Lenoir’s riveting performance of “Si on s’y mettait.”
Dipping into much of Ferland’s music from across the decades, there was a notable emphasis on the 1970 “Jaune” album, making it extra special to see the current generation of Francophone musicians embrace such time-tested music, whilst adding their own signature stamps in the process. The youthful energy of Le Roy la Rose et le Lou[p] shone during “Quand on aime on a toujours vingt ans” (and those horns – wow), and again during an explosive collaboration featuring Ariane Moffatt and Karkwa (plus others) during “God is an American.” Moffatt, when not up front as a co-vocalist, could often be seen behind the keyboards (on stage) to support Thierry Larose, or behind the drums when rocking with Marie-Pierre Arthur – nothing seemed off limits, musically, on this given night.
Our new friends in the front row made sure to point out significant moments to us as they played out – including the surprise addition mid-show of Ferland’s surviving spouse, Julie Anne Saumur. Accompanied by Moffatt, Saumur delivered a performance of “Un peu plus haut, un peu plus loin” that was equally as energized as it was emotional. Popular Montréal resident and bilingual recording artist Martha Wainwright would make a scheduled (yet brief) appearance to share “La musique,” but likely had other obligations based on her no-show during the all-cast collective finale (Marie-Pierre Arthur also notably absent).
And how about that all-cast finale? Ariane Moffatt led the charge (before splitting vocals with several others) with “Un chance qu’on s’a” (a tune that Jean-Pierre re-recorded with Celine Dion in 2018), before sending everybody home on a high with “Le soleil emmène au soleil.” One last magical moment would follow during this number, the artists slowing to an eventual pause as images (and sounds) of Ferland himself appeared on the huge screens flanking the stage area – before Moffatt led one last vocal choral moment encouraging everyone on stage to harmonize both beautifully and collectively to draw this unforgettable evening to its conclusion. For just the cost of an extra night’s hotel accommodation, being privy to this 90-minute tribute and witnessing the outpouring of love for a Québecois legend was nothing short of priceless.
Set List:
- Le petit roi (Ariane Moffatt / Louis-Jean Cormier / Ariane Roy / Lou-Adriane Cassidy / Marie-Pierre Arthur / Soleil Launière)
- T’es Mon Amour, T’es Ma Maitresse (Ariane Roy / Hubert Lenoir)
- Maman, ton fils passe un maivais moment (Thierry Larose / Ariane Moffatt)
- Sur la route 11 (Vincent Vallières / Marie Denise Pelletier)
- Avant de m’assagir (Marie Denise Pelletier)
- Quand on aime on a toujours vingt ans (Le Roy la Rose et le Lou[p])
- Sing sing (Lou-Adriane Cassidy)
- Les fleurs de macadam (Vincent Vallières / Louis-Jean Cormier / Patrice Michaud)
- Le plus beau slow (Patrice Michaud)
- Un peu plus haut, un peu plus loin (Julie Anne Saumur / Ariane Moffatt)
- Écoute pas ça (Vincent Vallières)
- Y’a des jours (Soleil Launière / Ariane Moffatt)
- La musique (Martha Wainwright)
- Je reviens chez nous (Marie-Pierre Arthur / Louis-Jean Cormier / Ariane Moffatt)
- *Recital* (Adib Alkhalidey)
- Le chat du café des artistes (Karkwa / Ariane Moffatt)
- Si on s’y mettait (Hubert Lenoir / Karkwa)
- God is an American (Karkwa / Marie Denise Pelletier / Adib Alkhalidey / Ariane Moffatt / Soleil Launière)
- Une chance qu’on s’a (Ariane Moffatt et al)
- Le soleil emmène au soleil (Ariane Moffatt et al)
Photo Credit: Concert Poster (Official Website)
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
