Enjoying several days in Québec’s most populous city, Team GDW had circled several artist names scheduled to perform at the 2025 Francos de Montréal – and while we could not get to see them all (or devote full editorial pieces for each of them), we did enjoy music from an old favorite, and a pair of recent discoveries. Learn more about these three acts here with our Random Recaps, and check back soon for one final festival roundup that shall feature the artist who sat atop our wish list.
Galaxie
Making an appearance on the Loto-Québec stage for a mid-card Wednesday night performance, as longtime casual fans of Québecois indie-garage rockers Galaxie (formally Galaxie 500), we were more than curious to see if the band brought the same energy to the stage as they do their studio albums. The answer is a resounding YES! And let’s be honest – any opportunity to see legendary rocker Fred Fortin (bass) up close and personal was more than a driving factor for not missing this show. Joining his brother Pierre Fortin (drums), and bandmates Karin Pion (percussion/vocals) and Olivier Langevin (lead vocals/guitar) – the band had an ace up their collective sleeves, welcoming former keyboardist François Lafontaine (Karkwa) back into the fold (double duty, having performed earlier with his partner Marie-Pierre Arthur just an hour earlier on this same stage).
Opening with a pair of fuzz-rock hit tunes – “Amonie” and “Piste 1,” the energy was off the charts. The music was loud. The theatrics were intoxicating. And the band did not ease off any gas pedals at their disposal during this 90-minute performance. Having managed to stand up just off the rail for the first handful of tunes, my own energy levels were no match for those around me – yet retreating further back from the stage area in no way lessened the enjoyment of the experience. The band bounced back and forth through their vast music catalog, adding extra intensity to cuts such as “Zulu” and “Camouflar,” – and as I slowly worked my way back through the crowds to my new vantage point from further afar, I’m pretty sure I recall hearing what sounded like a Donna Summer cover. The fact that many of the band are of a similar age to that of myself, it is scary to comprehend how they perform with so much gusto, so much exuberance, and a seemingly endless supply of raw energy. Back in my twenties, I would have kept pace all evening – but for now, I was more than happy to chill in the bleachers and enjoy this rock and roll spectacle firsthand with a few extra creature comforts.
Ponteix
Having discovered the music of Ponteix (the moniker of Mario Lepage) earlier this year – thanks to his collaboration with popular Québecois rocker Louis-Jean Cormier (Karkwa) – this Franco-Saskatchewan (Fransaskoise) artist was quickly circled as another artist high on our list to catch whilst in town. Kicking off the Thursday evening festivities on the Loto-Québec stage accompanied by a guitarist and a drummer (did not catch their names), Ponteix (vocals/multi-instruments) opened with an incredible performance of “le canadien errant,” the title track from his 2025 album release, before taking time to introduce himself and offer a little background about growing up in the rural Franco community of St. Denis in SK, and his inevitable move to Montréal. We had hoped that given Louis-Jean Cormier was also a participant in the festival, that the chance of witnessing a “St. Denis” duet was on the cards – but unfortunately, this did not come to fruition.
Naturally eager to share plenty of the new tunes, and switching instruments frequently between songs, Ponteix dazzled with cuts such as “le bonheur,” “ici-bas,” “le feeling,” and the bilingual tune “the way it is.” It would be remiss not to acknowledge his guitarist, who demonstrated so much passion and intensity throughout the show, clearly locked away in his own universe and incredibly focused on maintaining rhythm and adding blistering solos, almost tap dancing on his pedal board to constantly alter sounds and effects. Digging a little deeper into his musical back catalog, we were privy to a stellar performance of the title track from the 2022 “Amélia” EP – one of a couple of deviations from the current album – but before we could hope for more, an unexpected storm brought a sudden downpour that had most of us around the stage scrambling for shelter. While the rain did a marvelous job cutting away the humidity, it robbed us of the opportunity to watch the last fifteen minutes of the set (no rain gear) – although we could at least hear it from a covered doorway across the street.
Sara Dufour
As the final night of the festival rolled around, we had circled Dolbeau-Mistassini, QC country-rocker Sara Dufour as the artist we did not want to miss. Performing as the first act on the Scène Rogers main stage, the festival square area filled quickly with fans of all ages – many wearing t-shirts for Sara’s current Smile Dans Face tour. Having only learned of this artist about eighteen months ago (we shared a clip of Sara’s tune “Semi-route Semi trail” last fall), while we did not know what to expect, the excitement levels from the crowd told us that this was going to be something special.
With some huge video screens behind her, and accompanied by her full band (including legendary songwriter Dany Placard), Sara (vocals/guitars/harmonica) has a stage presence like no other – flashing an infectious smile, displaying unlimited energy, and having a solid ear for upbeat, danceable country-rock tunes that fill those around her with so much joy. Launching immediately into “Smile dans face,” Sara easily whipped the crowd into an immediate frenzy, whilst thriving in her natural environment – we very quickly formed an impression that Sara was destined for the stage. Performing a great cross section of hits, the crowd sang along eagerly and danced around all evening as Sara shared popular cuts such as “Ciao Bye,” “Baseball,” “Chic-Chocs,” and “Chez nous c’est Ski-Doo.” Closing with an explosive version of “Semi-route, Semi-trail,” Sara certainly made fully fledged fans out of two ‘first-timers’ from Pennsylvania who left the main stage area in complete awe of her commanding performance.
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.
