Oh, social media algorithms! How often you help determine our future travel plans. During a visit to Ottawa back in the spring, Lesley and I were grabbing some lunch at one of our favorite Gatineau restaurants when we received a ‘just announced’ notification – Montréal synth-pop artist Ariane Moffatt would be performing at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre in the fall as part of a ‘Spotlight on Francophone Artists’ series. As a musician we have followed for over fifteen years – yet had only seen once briefly as part of a tribute show last year – this was an easy decision. Tickets bought! And before we’d finished our appetizers too…
We have documented frequently of our passion for French-Canadian music – most notably back in October 2016 when Lesley shared an editorial about her discovery of Québecois music during a solo road trip to Montréal in 1999; one which opened her eyes and ears to a whole new world of music itching to be discovered. Fast forward to the time in which I arrived on these shores and started my new life here in North America, our subscription to XM Radio (later SiriusXM) brought with it the French-Canadian Air Musique channel – and we were both very quickly hooked.
It was around 2008 when we began paying attention to French language music – long before we ventured on road trips to QC – and longer still before the birth of GDW and our subsequent concert adventures in the province. In 2008, we would hear songs on this obscure-yet-cool channel from new-to-us artists such as Les Cowboys Fringants, Marie-Mai, and Karkwa, purchase the digital downloads (streaming was just gearing up for the masses), and create our own playlists by burning these tunes onto CDs. We still have many of these discs, and the 2008 hit tune “Réverbère” by Ariane Moffatt was one of the very first tracks burned to our “Air Musique Volume 1” CD. Catching this artist in concert was LONG overdue now that we’re here in 2025.
Arriving back in Ottawa, we made our way to the Babs Asper Theatre within the National Arts Centre with a wish-list of tunes we hoped to hear performed live. With the release of “Airs de Jeux” back in March – Ariane’s first studio album since 2021 (not dismissing the 20th anniversary ‘reissue’ of her 2002 “Aquanaute” debut), an emphasis on the new material was to be expected, and as the album’s lead track “Prologue” played out by her bandmates, Ariane received a loud and lively response from the audience when making her way onto the stage – sticking with the album track placement and launching immediately into “Jouer.” And as an artist accustomed to performing more frequently just across the river in the neighboring city, her erroneous “Bonjour, Gatineau” greeting was easily dismissed as an unintentional faux pas by the audience (many likely visiting the NAC from across the river).
A performance of “Je Veux Tout,” a hit from her 2008 “Tout Les Sens” album was an instantly recognizable wish-list tune, with Ariane returning to this release later in the evening to deliver “Réverbère” (as part of a one-two punch following “Petites joies,” connecting both with minimal hesitation and some sampling of the chorus line from Snap’s “The Power”). In fact, the six final tunes to close the regular set came with an unprecedented amount of energy from Ariane and her band, commencing with her popular tune “Sunshine” (from the SOMMM project). “Meet me on the other side / Where the sun shines bright / Day and night / Meet me on the other side / Where the sun shines bright…” – and right on cue, everybody in the room was eager to sing the chorus at the top of their lungs – “All day, all night / All day, all night / All day, all night / All day, all night.” Adding her popular cover of Catherine Lara’s hit “Nuit magique” during this segment, Ariane would bring the show to an explosive close with another crowd participation favorite, “Miami.”
Returning to the stage for a brief solo encore moment, Ariane would share a beautiful rendition of “Tina,” a tribute to the late Tina Turner that appears on the latest album. I can openly admit that while my grasp of the French language is entry-level at best, it was not difficult to deduce the meaning of this tune from Ariane’s lyrics and heartfelt delivery. “You’re simply the best / Simply the best / Plus forte que tout le reste / I’m stuck on your heart / You’re simply the best / Simply the best / T’es plus forte que tout le reste / I’m stuck on your heart.” The room was silent during this moment – you could probably hear Ariane drawing breaths as she sang if you really focused.
With the return of her band, Ariane was happy to field requests, with many in attendance calling out for “Point De Mire,” her timeless debut single from “Aquanaute” – “Poussière D’ange” the only other cut from this album performed on this given night (earning plenty of immediate cheers and applause from the room when detecting the familiar piano rings and opening verse). Given the audience appreciation as “Point De Mire” ended, I’m not sure if Ariane took one more request, but she and her band would close the evening with another popular tune – “Montréal” from her 2005 sophomore album (one still receiving frequent airplay on the SiriusXM radio Racines Musicales channel). A solid 90-minute performance from one of Québec’s finest electronica artists – and another French language musician finally scratched from our extensive ‘must-see-in-concert’ bucket list.
Set List:
- Prologue
- Jouer
- Je Veux Tout
- Le ministère de la solitude
- J’aime mes problèmes
- GYST
- Vivante
- Copenhague
- Poussière D’ange
- L’amour, le danger
- Sunshine
- Debout
- Nuit magique (Catherine Lara cover)
- Petites joies
- Réverbère
- Miami
Encore:
- Tina (solo)
- Point de mire
- Montréal
Photo Credit: Promo Image – National Arts Centre (In House Display)
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.
