As we approach the midst of summer, we inevitably hit every music lover’s favourite time of the year: festival season. Montreal has developed Parc Jean-Drapeau to be the premier festival hub for Canada. Over the years, what was once only the festival ground for Osheaga has expanded to include ÎleSoniq for electronic music, LASSO for country music, and a few tour stops throughout the year, as it can hold up to 65,000 attendees. Although we experienced one of the hottest summer weekends, since the venue is on an island, the St. Lawrence River provided a welcome respite from the scorching temperatures.
The yellow subway line was bustling, serving as the vessel for nearly all attendees to get to the island efficiently. Upon their arrival, guests were greeted with the oasis of Osheaga 2024, a festival with over 18 years of experience. Four stages of music hailed on the city for nine hours, each day.
The first day was already off to a phenomenal start.
The intense heatwave didn’t deter Melanie Martinez fans from flocking to the Coors Light Mountain stage, which was adorned with bunnies, cradles, eerie dolls, and dollhouses, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display. A true storyteller, Martinez continually reinvents herself with each album, featuring whimsical characters that deeply connect with young women. Her music and visual style, a fusion of retro and contemporary influences, make her a standout in the pop music scene, as evidenced by the impressive and enthusiastic turnout of her Montreal crowd.
UK grime artist Skepta surprisingly has strong Canadian ties. Featured on Drake’s album More Life in 2017, Skepta instantly began paying homage to his Canadian connections with his track Skepta Interlude. This track alone was enough to warm up the crowd for his set, with everyone roaring back the lyrics throughout the entire song. He finished off with hits such as That’s Not Me, Man (Gang), and of course, Praise The Lord, a hit with ASAP Rocky that has amassed over a billion streams on Spotify alone.
Before we knew it, Saturday rolled around, the sold-out day of the weekend. You could tell Green Day was in town without even looking at the lineup. Countless fans mimicked the early 2000s American Idiot look, with eyeliner and a crooked tie. Highlights of the day included Denzel Curry, T-Pain, Smashing Pumpkins, Elderbrook, and Green Day.
T-Pain brought the nightclub to Osheaga. An artist who experienced an entire resurgence in popularity due to his fans’ discovery of his true harmonies beyond the autotune from his Tiny Desk Concert in 2015. He played infamous songs such as Up Down, Bartender, Good Life, and Low. Despite the heat, T-Pain was able to energize the crowd uniquely, transforming the Bellair Direct stage into a dance floor.
With every great festival comes personal scheduling issues. The Smashing Pumpkins’ set at the Coors Light stage overlapped with multi-talented electronic music artist Elderbrook. The Smashing Pumpkins brought forth a somber, atmospheric tone; the raw soundscape that Billy Corgan brought to the Coors Light stage felt like bliss amid the commotion of the entire festival day.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the festival at the Green Stage, Elderbrook, in a way, did the same. What makes Elderbrook stand out from other EDM artists at the festival is that he is a solo act who not only handles all live production but also performs all of his own vocals live. His sheer talent in balancing these two aspects made leaving The Smashing Pumpkins a bit early worth it.
As Osheaga brings festival-goers from across the country, it does the same with artists. Green Day had a sold-out show in Toronto on Thursday before travelling to Montreal for their next sold-out Canadian show at Osheaga. Before they went on, the audience knew that they would be running through their 2004 hit album American Idiot due to the massive inflatable of the album cover stretching to the top of the stage. Their set was nearly two hours, warming up the crowd with covers of Bohemian Rhapsody, Blitzkrieg Bop, and We Will Rock You.
Diving into their angsty, high-energy punk rock third album, Dookie, they performed tracks like Longview, Basket Case, F.O.D., and When I Come Around. Considering that this tour was for the album’s 30th anniversary, we can confidently say that Green Day still sounds identical to their studio recordings. Continuing with their 2004 album American Idiot, they played hits including Holiday, Homecoming, and Wake Me Up When September Ends.
They finished with the most powerful encore of the entire weekend, ending with the newer single Bobby Sox and the cult classic Good Riddance (Time of Your Life). The chemistry between the band radiated into the crowd, and it was great to see. Green Day proved to Osheaga that they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
The third day didn’t slow down with massive artists, including Raye, Alvvays, Kevin Abstract, Hozier, Justice, and SZA, to name a few.
A storm began to dawn on the festival grounds during Raye’s set, causing a delay. But like any great artist, she made the most of it alongside her backing band. Raye embodies a 1960s-era aesthetic; she was dressed in a red ball gown, and her band had similar attire, with her drummer in a tuxedo. With her time remaining due to weather issues, she covered James Brown’s It’s a Man’s World followed by her tracks Black Mascara, Prada, and Escapism.
As the storm passed and the sun slowly started to dawn, Hozier took the stage. Beginning his performance with most of his 2014 self-titled album, he performed with a full band, adding the depth found only in a studio. The hymns from The Work Song and Real People Do employed a gospel-like fervour across the crowd. He finished his set with the new hit single Too Sweet and 2014’s Take Me To Church, resonating deeply with the crowd to close his performance.
As Hozier’s performance came to a close, SZA started almost immediately, as the two main stages were next to each other. SZA had one of the most extensive stage designs of the entire festival, delivering a fantasy setting of subterranean caves, macroscopic forests, and robotic themes. These visuals assisted her tracks like Garden, Kill Bill, and Saturn. Her set served as a trip through these realms, and it was clear that most of Sunday’s festival-goers were there for her.
The final night ended with Justice, a French duo that rarely makes an appearance in Canada. Their talent is quite similar to Daft Punk, as they both mixed their sets live. Their lighting and visuals within the night made it seem like the crowd was in a European nightclub in the after-hours. There are few artists that captured the crowd’s energy as Justice did, making their performance the perfect ending to the three-day music extravaganza of Osheaga.
As the crowd slowly dissipated into the night, one thing became immensely clear: Osheaga is more than just a music festival. It’s a melting pot where diverse genres and artists converge, a place that resonates with all musical interests. From Green Day’s raw punk rock energy to Hozier’s gospel-like hymns, it’s clear that Osheaga has become a Canadian tradition where music lovers can unite.
