Judging by last night’s show at Brooklyn’s Williamsburg Music Hall, of Montreal have totally made it. Seeing them a few times over the years, their fan base always seemed loyal but obscure to me. Last night it seemed their popularity was almost cult-like. I mean, 16-year-old boys were in drag to celebrate the art queer vibe of their newest album! It was nuts!
Deliciously androgynous frontman, Kevin Barnes took it all the way and back again with costume changes of diva proportions (I lost count at six), each time tossing off his stage gear into the hungry crowd until he was in some gold undies that left nothing to the imagination. Hot. To add to the glam spectacle, count dancing ninjas, simulated sex with fruit, projected, animated album art and body paint. The band was clearly bigger than the venue (Barnes has been known to ride a white horse onstage, not unfortunately not last night), but that made it all the more intimate. Sonic highlights included the current single ‘Id Engager’, a disco version of ‘Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider’, and exuberant closer, ‘A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger’.
They continue their US tour supporting newest avant-pop release, Skeletal Lamping. You can catch a peek of the live show when they are on Letterman tonight. I’m hoping for some extra fruity goodness for Dave.
-Photo by Diana Wong
