Le Roy la Rose et le Lou[p]: Live at MTELUS

No matter how much we believe to be in control of our own destiny, fate often intervenes when least expected to put a bump in the road and alter the current path we are walking. For myself, all it took late last year was for a simple press release from Bravo Musique promoting a new single – piquing my curiosity about an intriguing collaboration, and (unbeknownst at the time) triggering a series of impulsive actions in the process. 

Prior to this press release, the music of emerging Marielleville, QC indie-rocker Thierry Larose had been on our radar since early 2023, notably due to his “Baleine et moi (take 10)” single. Thierry’s lo-fi music captivated the senses, paving the way for an active pursual of the next generation of Québecois talent. Seeing Thierry’s name in this press release drew our attention to “Chanson thème,” a collaborative retro-pop seventies-era single that led to the discovery of two other (unknown to us) emerging artists out of Québec City – Ariane Roy and Lou-Adriane Cassidy. Oh, how quickly our musical path hit a major diversion from that very moment… 

That’s right – all it took was a mere one hundred and forty-three seconds (the run time of “Chanson thème”) to fall into a new music rabbit hole. In the blink of an eye, we were scouring through the press release and clicking links for a tour announcement. An impulsive ticket purchase was made, and a visit planned to Joliette, QC over the US Thanksgiving weekend to see the tour finale for “La Roy la Rose et le Lou[p]” – Ariane (The King), Thierry (The Rose) and Lou-Adriane (The Wolf), a name inspired by the legendary Superfrancofête concert from 1974 featuring Félix Leclerc, Gilles Vigneault, and Robert Charlebois. One hundred and forty-three seconds of music would trigger such actions – crazy, right? 

Nothing could have prepared us for what proved to be our most memorable concert experience in 2023, one that left us craving much more from this extraordinary trio of twentysomethings (and backed by a stellar seven-piece band). Sadly, this was the tour finale – but seeds of hope were planted in my final musings about that evening: 

“Who knew that an impulsive ticket purchase would lead to something so memorable? This show in Joliette was an exhilarating tour finale – but there is good news for anybody who may have missed out: the trio announced one more show next summer at MTELUS in Montréal. Tempting, VERY TEMPTING!!!” (12/8/23) 

Truth be told, we had already purchased tickets before our concert recap article hit the internet, and before Thierry’s stunning 2023 “Sprint!” album was singled out as our GDW Album of the Year winner. Plans for a return visit to Québec in the early summer were already underway. 

Fast-forward to the present day, and our second outing with Le Roy la Rose et le Lou[p] proved a memorable experience once more. We had an inkling of what to expect this time around but did not factor the impact of this larger venue (MTELUS lists their capacity at 2300 patrons) – where the band’s unrelenting energy was matched ounce for ounce, pound for pound, by a fully engaged and energized crowd. Performing for 1 hour, 45-minutes, the trio were backed by those same seven bandmates on a familiar stage setup, and aside from a few tweaks to the Joliette setlist, the show was amazing once again. The band shone, riding the musical highs and lows with perfect precision. What another glorious moment in our concert-going adventures.  

As witnessed last time, the trio commenced with a three-song acoustic in-the-round performance – but would offer no repeat from their previous show. Instead, Ariane would take the lead, surprising all with a fabulous rendition of “Ta main,” and backed by some moving harmonies from her two companions. Thierry would follow suit, then Lou-Adriane, both offering acoustic compositions that were not encountered at the previous show, with Cassidy’s slower than usual pacing for “La fin du monde à tous les jours” adding an interesting element to her popular tune.  

Once the full band kicked in following this opening segment, there were very few differences – but with familiarity comes the smooth transition between tracks, between lead vocalists, between instrumentation changes – and this ensemble made it all look so easy. Each artist had plenty of chances to shine – for Ariane, the haunting nature of “Tu as le droit” slowed the room down completely, before rebounding with some stunning echo effects and ethereal harmonies. For Lou-Adriane, with her larger-than-life stage presence, how could you not appreciate the energy during “La pluie ne tombe jamais sur toi,” along with the accompanying extended guitar solo to close? And for Thierry, with the surprise inclusion of “Comme dans mes souvenirs” (in lieu of “Frisbee and marmelade”), his ‘cool-as-a-cucumber’ performance was accentuated by the female vocal harmonies that give Merry Clayton some legitimate competition in explosiveness. 

We still held fresh those memories of magical moments from the previous show that we longed to witness once more, and all three lead artists obliged. Ariane, looking every part an indie rock darling with her loosely strapped electric guitar(s) participated once more in a three-person guitar jam at center stage to close out “Ce n’est pas de la chance,” whilst pushing the boundaries further with a rousing performance of her recent single “Si je rampe.” Lou-Adriane, with an abundance of raw, almost-manic-at-times energy, took her tambourine for many tours of the stage as she danced, jammed, cried, even falling to her knees for some headbanging during “J’espère encore que quelque part l’attente s’arrête,” then flipping her personality switch completely to deliver the always-amazing piano ballad “Ça va ça va” during the encore. And Thierry, with some very understated guitar skills, opened “L’ile à vingt-cinq sous” with some almost-Gilmour-esque wails, before being washed with those three-part vocal harmonies, and then dueling in a lengthy guitar solo down the stretch. Let’s not dismiss Thierry’s anthem that is “Les amants de Pompéi,” delivered with unbridled passion, and accompanied by a 2300-person choir – well, if this moment didn’t move you, call a mortician. 

Our second encounter with Le Roy la Rose et le Lou[p] did not disappoint! How could it – with the abundance of talent that these three artists possess, elevated furthermore by the seven outstanding musicians around them who bring so much to the stage. With a rousing performance of the one hundred and forty-three second track to close, the band did not exit the stage – ultimately offering an unforgettable encore of their own as Lou-Adriane Cassidy was awarded the 2024 Prix Félix Leclerc – her bandmates clearly a huge part of this surprise ceremony and celebration (the very prize awarded to Ariane Roy last year, and Thierry Larose in 2022 – all well-deserved). A fabulous end to an amazing night – we’re still craving more….and a few festival dates have since been announced. When it comes to taking a road trip to see this trio, never say never… especially with Lou-Adriane dropping hints via social media that these dates are for a ‘farewell tour.’ 

Set List: 

1. Ta main (Ariane) 
2. Si tu comprends pas maintenant (tu comprendras peut-être jamais) (Thierry) 
3. La fin du monde à tous les jours (Lou-Adriane) 
4. Portrait d’une Marianne (Thierry) 
5. Oui le serpent nous guette (Lou-Adriane)
6. Tu voulais parler (Ariane) 
7. Baleine et moi (take 10) (Thierry) 
8. Tu as le droit (Ariane) 
9. La pluie ne tombe jamais sur toi (Lou-Adriane) 
10. Plein prix (Thierry) 
11. Ce n’est pas de la chance (Ariane) 
12. Comme dans mes souvenirs (Thierry) 
13. Si je rampe (Ariane) 
14. Je pars en vacances (*unreleased*) (Lou-Adriane) 
15. J’espère encore que quelque part l’attente s’arrête (Lou-Adriane) 
16. L’ile à vingt-cinq sous (Thierry) 
17. Entre mes jambes (Lou-Adriane) 
18. Kundah (Ariane) 

Encore: 

1. Ça va ça va (Lou-Adriane) 
2. Fille à porter (Ariane) 
3. Les amants de Pompéi (Thierry) 
4. Chanson thème (Le Roy la Rose et le Lou[p])
5. (Lou-Adriane Cassidy – 2024 Prix Félix Leclerc award ceremony) 
   

Martin Noakes

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.