20 Montreal Must-See Shows In August 2014
Photo cred - uniworldnews.org
Festival season is here! After the huge success of Osheaga this past weekend, we're already excited for all the other great shows August has to offer. Although we do hate to see summer slowly start to wind down, the one upside is that it seems like every single day has a new show, and every weekend a new festival. August is now home to three major music festivals in our city; Osheaga, Heavy Montreal, and Ile Soniq, as well as the week-long events linked to the International Balloon Festival in Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu. Oh, and the usual Piknic Elektronic. No big deal.
We're lucky this month to have up & coming artists, big name musicians, DJ's, huge shows at Parc Jean Drapeau, as well as the music festivals we've already come to love. Looking to say goodbye to summer 2014 in a big way?
Click here for the 20 Montreal Must-See Shows In August 2014 >
Photo cred - Georgia Sessenfeld
Norma Jean
Date: August 4th
Venue: Il Motore
Genre: Metalcore
Why you're going: The band has been going strong since 1997, and there's something to be said about longevity in the music industry today. With 6 full length records under their belt to-date, fans will likely get to enjoy the best hits from their years together, in a cozy, intimate venue (perfect for moshing?!)
Tiny Ruins
Date: August 5th
Venue: Casa Del Popolo
Genre: Indie/Folk
Why you're going: Tiny Ruins originally began as a solo project, but has now developed into a three-piece band that performs soulful, at times acoustic, tracks that really dig deeper than your usual pop record. Casa Del Popolo is also a Montreal favorite venue, and always a place that is a pleasure to discover new music.
Heavyย Montrรฉal
Date: August 9th and 10th
Venue: Parc Jean Drapeau
Genre: Metal, Rock, Punk
Why you're going: Previously known as 'Heavy MTL', festival organizers changed things up this year (along with the name) to include a wider variety of musical genres for fans to enjoy. The lineup includes Metallica, The Offspring, Dropkick Murphys, Hatebreed, Bad Religion, Lamb of God, Fucked Up, and Slayer. Talk about a variety of genres! It's bound to be an epic weekend that you won't want to miss out on!
Marie-Mai
Date: August 10th
Venue: International Balloon Festival
Genre: Pop/Rock
Why you're going: The French songstress is widely known as one of the best female French musicians to come out of Montreal since Celine Dion, and her vocals are definitely to thank for that. She is an absolute power-house, and we couldn't be more excited to see her on the line-up for this year's Balloon Fest. If you see any Montreal artist at least once in your life, it's this girl.
Alex Nevsky
Date: August 13th
Venue: International Balloon festival
Genre: Pop/Rock
Why you're going: French singer/songwriter Alex Nevsky performed this past weekend at Osheaga, officially putting him on the map as a must-know musician. He's already performed at Montreal's Francofolies, and received a handful of nominations for l'ADISQ. We're stoked to see him performing in the Balloon Fest lineup, and we're betting lots of new fans from Osheaga will be making it out there too.
Passenger
Date: August 14th
Venue: Metropolis
Genre: Indie/Folk/Rock
Why you're going: Since his first performance in Montreal alongside Ed Sheeran two years ago, Passenger has returned to Montreal several times to sold out crowds. His unbelievable songwriting, mixed with catchy indie riffs make his performances truly unforgettable.
Ile Soniq Music Festival
Date: August 15th and 16th
Venue: Parc Jean Drapeau
Genre: EDM/Hip Hop/Rap
Why you're going: The very first edition of Montreal's own EDM festival is this year, and although there has been some talk of a medicore lineup, the weekend still boasts big names like Tiesto, Laidback Luke, Dillon Francis, Adventure Club, The Chainsmokers, Bingo Players, and Infected Mushroom- among tons of others. Hosted over two days and on two stages, you'll be able to catch all your favorite DJs without worrying about who you might miss!
The Franklin Electric, Groenland, Half Moon Run
Date: August 15th
Venue: International Balloon Festival
Genre: Indie/Rock
Why you're going: We're completely in love with Montreal-based The Franklin Electric, and were counting down for them to announce another show here at home! Although sad not to have seen them make the Osheaga bill (next year, guys!) the Balloon Fest may in fact prove to be a bigger turn-out as they perform their latest and greatest off their debut record. Haven't heard it yet? We highly recommend the song 'Old Piano'.
Performing right after TFE are two more Montreal bands; Groenland and Half Moon Run. Both have performed outstanding sets in the city on multiple occasions and honestly? They make us very proud to be Montrealers. Half Moon Run performed at Osheaga on the main stage, and were some of our favorites of the entire weekend. Make sure you don't miss another opportunity to check them out- we promise it's worth it!
Alvvays
Date: August 16th
Venue: La Vitrola
Genre: Indie-Pop
Why you're going: There has been a lot of talk about indie-pop band Alvvays these days, despite the bands' existence for 4 years now. It likely has a lot to do with their first full-length release this year, which has garnered the attention of many music lovers around the world. If you're skipping out on Ile Soniq this weekend in preference of something more Osheaga-style, you should definitely give these guys a listen.
Hedley
Date: August 16th
Venue: International Balloon Festival
Genre: Pop
Why you're going: It's been far too long since Hedley has performed in Montreal, and this is bound to be a night you won't want to miss out on. If you've ever seen Jacob Hoggard live before you'll know exactly why; he puts on the performance of a lifetime. The band has such an insane chemistry together on stage, they are a riot to watch, and a pleasure to listen to. Hoggard's vocals are simply un-matched. Whether you're a big fan or not, we can bet you'll be singing along to a lot of their radio hits!
Milosh
Date: August 16th
Venue: Cabaret du Mile-End
Genre: Electronic
Why you're going: Milosh isn't your every day, run of the mill electronic artist. The musician is also classically trained cellist. His songs have often been described to be very emotional, sad, or beautiful, attributed to his longstanding career in classical music. If you're an EDM fan, make sure you check out this very talented artist if you don't know him already!
The Box Tiger
Date: August 17th
Venue: L'Esco
Genre: Indie/Rock/Pop
Why you're going: Presented by Indie Montreal, The Box Tiger are an emerging Indie band that you just need to check out for yourself. They've described their music as indie, but with pop sensible hooks that make it accessible to the masses. We like the sound of it. and we're excited to see what kind of energy they bring to a live show!
Photo cred - Cody Simpson
Cody Simpson
Date: August 20th
Venue: Metropolis
Genre: Pop
Why you're going: Teen heartthrob Cody Simpson continues to make catchy pop songs that will make for a good night out in Montreal if you're looking to have fun and keep busy. We'd suggest investing in some good earplugs before you head out- the girls do tend to scream a little loudly for him- but chances are you'll quickly find out why after checking him out!
PS I Love You
Date: August 22nd
Venue: Il Motore
Genre: Indie/Rock
Why you're going: Their albums have consistently received extremely favorable reviews across the internet (even album review moguls Pitchfork gave them 8 stars on their debut), which begs the question- does their talent come through in their live shows? We're willing to bet that it totally does, which means you're in for a solid night of rock n' roll.
Julie Doiron
Date: August 22nd
Venue: La Sala Rossa
Genre: Indie/Folk/Rock
Why you're going: There's no doubt about it, Julie is extremely talented. Her 2007 release 'Woke Myself Up' was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, and her track 'The Life of Dreams' appeared in a 2014 iPhone commercial (sounds a bit more familiar now, right?) The musician briefly lived in Montreal before settling down with her family in Sackville, and we couldn't be happier to welcome her back to the city.
Linkin Park, Thirty Seconds to Mars & AFI
Date: August 23rd
Venue: Parc Jean Drapeau
Genre: Alternative/Rock
Why you're going: It's rare to see a line-up pack such a punch, but that is literally what's going on right here. Three bands known to put on the most intense live shows, prep yourself for the best 3 hours of your month right here. AFI arguably had one of the best sets on Sunday's Osheaga line-up, and both 30STM and Linkin Park sell out their shows in Montreal every time they're here. We're so stoked to see them playing at PJD, hopefully accommodating thousands more fans in the process!
Alice in Chains
Date: August 24th
Venue: Metropolis
Genre: Alternative/Metal/Rock/Grunge
Why you're going: Alice in freaking Chains are coming to Montreal! The music veterans, having begun their career together in 1987, may only have 5 albums to their name thus far, but what an amazing five they are! It's always an absolute honor to host such well established musicians, so make sure you go and show them just how awesome they are.
Photo cred - Gareth Emery
Gareth Emery
Date: August 29th
Venue: New City Gas
Genre: EDM
Why you're going: New City Gas is always a great time, but when you add music giants like Gareth Emery into the mix, it's pretty much un-missable. From his podcast to his studio albums, we can guarantee another packed night at NCG, so make sure to get at ticket before the event sells out.
Arcade Fire
Date: August 30th
Venue: Parc Jean Drapeau
Genre: Alternative/Indie
Why you're going: One of Montreal's biggest indie acts are playing a massive end-of-summer show- you literally cannot miss this event! After the release of their latest record 'Reflektor', Arcade Fire will be making a stop in their hometown for what is likely to be an unforgettable evening.
Fujiya & Miyagi
Date: August 31st
Venue: La Vitrola
Genre: Electronic
Why you're going: These guys already have close to a 15 year career behind them, and will be performing at one of Montreal's newer, more intimate venues. If you're feeling like checking out some awesome electronic music that you may not yet know (or maybe you do, because they're awesome) then make sure you end off your summer right at La Vitrola with Fujiya & Miyagi!