Heading into the summer months means only one thing: Festival Season is upon us. Team GDW always loves a casual music festival – the type where you bring your lawn chair, pick your stage, and enjoy some tunes from both newcomers and favorites alike. With two of our annual fests both postponed for 2024, we´ve had to look a little further afield and are heading to Montréal (right now as you read this) for our live music fix. Here are four artists that we hope to catch in concert whilst in town…
Le Roy, la Rose et le Lou[p], “chanson thème”
This was one of our favorite singles from 2023, and based on the strength of this song, convinced us to drive to QC last fall to catch this trio of Ariane Roy, Thierry Larose, and Lou-Adriane Cassidy in concert. Proving to be one of the finest live performances ever attended, when the trio announced ‘one more date’ during the opening weekend of the Francos de Montréal festival, we jumped on those tickets. Who knows how many more opportunities will come (we’ll see them again in August), but this trio are HOT!
Les soeurs Boulay, “Laisse aller la vie”
When siblings Stéphanie and Mélanie Boulay burst onto the French-Canadian scene with their stunning 2013 “Le poids des confettis” debut album, their brand of folk music and unbelievable dual harmonies earned our full attention. Having lived separate lives for a while (Mélanie took time out to become a mother, while Stéphanie pursued a solo project), the sisters have reunited – and will be performing on the first Sunday evening at the Francos de Montréal this summer. We can’t wait to finally see them!
Quebec Redneck Bluegrass Project, “Me d´mandait ma blonde”
As one of those wonderful Québécois trad-folk bands that we hear frequently when tuning into Racines Musicales on SiriusXM, we always find ourselves drawing comparisons to popular Canadian folk ensemble Les Cowboys Fringants, so similar are they in sound and style. No matter which part of the folk-Americana spectrum you lean towards, this lively punk-folk meets bluegrass meets fiddle/banjo/harmonica combo will lure you in with its whimsical charm and toe-tapping beats.
Guylaine Tanguay, “Aide-moi à passer la nuit”
Another recent find for us, once again props to the Racines Musicales channel for introducing many new traditional and country music artists to our music radar. Hailing from Lac-Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands, Guylaine splits time between her home province and Nashville, TN, further solidifying her brand of French language country and quality Music Row production and mastering. We love the timeless country sound over the pop-with-an-accent variety, so hope to catch Guylaine´s set.
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.
