Dehd and This Is Lorelei Shred at Foufounes Électriques in Montreal

 

Dehd by Malaika Astorga

Dehd puts on one of Also Cool’s favourite live shows. Their sets are always memorable and create an atmosphere that makes one feel at ease alone in the crowd. The Chicago three-piece played at Les Foufounes Électriques on a warmer-than-usual October night as the second stop on their Poetry tour with This Is Lorelei as the opener.

The usual indie rock band t-shirt-and-Docs-clad crowd filled the space, comparable to the club in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and revered by many as “that place where Nirvana played once.” 

This Is Lorelei by Malaika Astorga

This Is Lorelei, also known as Nate Amos of Water From Your Eyes, My Idea, and Beetles, took the stage with his straightforward ballads and equally direct stage banter. “We’re gonna play a song about a lot of things but also nothing, so take what you want from it,” he announced. He subsequently shared similar anecdotes throughout the set, covering everything from Christmas to trash. His set was solid overall and would speak to fans who wish Alex G was a bit more energetic. 

Dehd by Malaika Astorga

Dehd stepped onstage with a brat-green guitar and shared dreams of speaking with horses. They played a healthy mix of fan favourites and songs from their fifth album, Poetry. Almost no phones were in sight as the crowd scream-sung practically every song back at them, dancing as hard as they possibly could. A friend of the magazine referred to their music as “music for biking in the springtime.” Despite it being the middle of autumn, Dehd’s fresh, joyful energy flowed throughout the venue. 

Overall, it was a sweet show, with an equally enthusiastic crowd who made it impossible not to sing along. Catch Dehd on the rest of their North American tour: 

Tickets

Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.


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The Dandy Warhols Go The Distance at Le Studio TD

 

The Dandy Warhols’ setup at Le Studio TD

2024 marks 30 years of The Dandy Warhols. The Portland psych-rock group have achieved a truly remarkable feat, with 11 studio albums and two compilations thrown into the mix. But with such a legacy comes the responsibility to uphold it, which poses its own challenges; many musicians hide behind the enduring glow of their greatest hits, while others grasp so tightly onto the notion of reinvention that it slips through their fingers. Where do the Dandy Warhols go from here? 

Last night at Le Studio TD, they attempted to chart this very course. Montreal marked the halfway point of The Dandy Warhols’ Spring 2024 tour, with this stop falling just days before the release of their twelfth record ROCKMAKER. An occasion full of promise for the Dandys and their devotees – and one that fortunately (mainly) delivered.

The Dandy Warhols capitalized on a roaring welcome by settling nicely into “Ride,” dousing the audience with a sea of shoegaze. Keyboardist/percussionist Zia McCabe commanded the stage all night, handling multiple instruments with ease as her auburn hair billowed in the air. Moving through the ROCKMAKER single “I’d Like To Help You With Your Problem” and synth-disco smasher “We Used To Be Friends” felt similarly organic.

Zia McCabe of The Dandy Warhols

Zia McCabe of The Dandy Warhols

Despite the heavy fluorescent haze, the middle of the set is where things hit a slump. For something that boasts such a distinctive distortion, new tune “Danzig with Myself” (a Frank Black collab) felt lost in the shuffle. A string of Dandy classics seemed to melt into each other, though fans who prefer the band at their breeziest may not have minded. I was grateful for the jolt of B-52’s-esque “The Summer of Hate” and the clarity of “The Last High” to lift the spell. At least Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s obligatory French quips proved charming to the crowd, with the lead vocalist joking that he was working his way up to “chewing out a waiter.” Priorities!

Judging by the resounding reaction, it was the seething bite of “Godless” that brought the Dandy Warhols back to where they needed to be. Just in time, too, for the sticky-sweet “Bohemian Like You” deserved such respect. (I am a Gen-Z music writer – I would be remiss if I did not attach great significance to the soundtracks of DreamWorks Animation films.)

Brent DeBoer and Courtney Taylor-Taylor of The Dandy Warhols

17 songs later, many fans would have been content to keep going, but McCabe drew the night to a close on her MS-20. “Let’s not wait so long,” urged McCabe, offering “je t’aime” before she departed the stage. While several people scattered around to try and find Taylor-Taylor’s guitar pick, other groups could be heard eagerly speculating on ROCKMAKER’s sound. 30 years have come and gone, but the Dandy Warhols continue to juggle an illustrious catalogue with that trademark satirical spark.


The Dandy Warhols

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.


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Le Tigre & cumgirl8 Captivate Montreal With Feminist Punk Power

 

cumgirl8 by Malaika Astorga

The collective Also Cool teenage dream was fulfilled last week at Le Tigre and cumgirl8's show at Olympia in Montreal. We've been longtime fans of Kathleen Hanna's projects and couldn't wait to see cumgirl8 live after including them in a recent Playlist Refresh.

The line to get into the show represented every aspect of Montreal's feminist punk community, ranging from cool-looking parents and their children wearing Bikini Kill shirts to excited 19-year-olds sporting local bands' merch. Across the board, everyone shared a collective glow, looking forward finally to seeing the legendary trio onstage.

The merch was also in line with the feminist spirit of the show. A printed sign reminded attendees that "the best way to support your favourite artist is to buy merch at their show - get off the Internet." We at Also Cool agree - the best way to support artists is to show up for your local scene IRL and support your friends' creative projects. 

For those new to the world of cumgirl8, the NYC-based group met in a sex chat 8000 years ago in another metaverse. Made up of Lida Fox (bass), Veronika Vilim (guitar), Chase Lombardo (drums), and Avishag Rodrigues (guitar), the band started as an art collective in 2019. As reflected in their name, cumgirl8's work pushes against the status quo by satirizing themes in popular culture surrounding femme objectification, social media sensationalism, and capitalism. 

Onstage, cumgirl8 embodied the coolest punk girl energy, with all the members decked out in incredible outfits featuring mesh, corsets, glitter and ripped tights. Chase (the drummer) also seemed to play the entire set in heels, which is incredibly admirable. Their sound was hot and heavy, exuding it-girl confidence. 

Le Tigre was up next with incredible visuals and included lyrics for all their songs at the top of the screen, a sweet touch that made the show-going experience more accessible for everyone. They opened with "The the Empty" and followed with tracks spanning their entire discography. 

Their performance also highlighted intersectional feminist discourse, sharing the backstories of many tracks and starting meaningful conversations around topics like reproductive rights, trans politics, PTSD recovery, and more. The show concluded with playful choreography that ramped up into "Deceptacon," which was received by a joyful and cheering crowd. 

Keep an eye out for cumgirl8's upcoming EP phantasea pharm, which is set to be released on August 18th via 4AD. 

Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.


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100 gecs and Machine Girl Summon All the Wizards in Montreal to MTELUS (Show Review)

 

Show poster provided via press agent

Last night, 100 gecs and Machine Girl joined forces at MTELUS to summon all of the wizards in Montreal for an unforgettable, high-energy show.

100 gecs recently released their long-awaited second album, 10,000 gecs, via Dog Show Records / Atlantic Records. Standout tracks like "Dumbest Girl Alive," "757," and "Hollywood Baby" quickly seeped into the freakiest parts of the Internet, continuing to elevate the band's cult following.

Walking up to the venue, it was immediately apparent that the show would be special. Multiple groups of wizards with colour-coordinated cloaks and hats filed inside the venue, followed by others wearing elaborate horns, star-shaped headgear, gyaru girlies, and fans wearing juggalo and metal-inspired makeup that could easily land them in any of The Garden's music videos. It was giving "we just left the Dungeons & Dragons gathering to come to the show" in the best way possible.

Showgoers ranged in age from what appeared to be a toddler on a teddy-bear-themed leash with circular glow sticks in their hair, to an overwhelming amount of Gen Zs dressed as every -core that exists on TikTok, to parent-age folks who all seemed a little wary but happy. I also met a friend's mom for the first time who seemed very happy to be there (shout out to Annie's mom).

Machine Girl opened the show with an explosive set, climbing all over the venue and setting the magic for the night. Vocalist Matt Stephenson weaved his way through the crowd, eventually ending up on a balcony looking over the pit, screaming in the loving void of Montreal. The duo left the room feeling electric, with showgoers ready to tear apart the pit.

Photos courtesy of Malaika Astorga

100 gecs entered the stage dressed as starry warlocks, opening with some of their newer tracks and a healthy balance of fan favourites, including "money machine," "stupid horse," and "ringtone." About halfway through the set, Laura announced that Dylan felt like doing 'his trick,' which meant balancing a guitar on his chin. This was received warmly by the crowd. Dylan also took a bite of an onion that materialized onstage before closing out the show with a few encore songs after fans literally barked for them.

Overall, the show was a beautiful congregation of Montreal's freakiest music-enjoyers, all of whom left sweaty and smiling, unable to believe the warlock pop collective experience that had just occurred.

100 gecs continue their tour with Machine Girl into May. You can get tickets here, and check out their Boiler Room set below.


Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.


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Yves Tumor Embodies Rock and Roll Energy at Club Soda

 

I knew that the Yves Tumor show at Club Soda would be a good one based on the conversations I heard while standing in line waiting to get in.

People were overjoyed to be running into each other for the first time in three years, and everyone was dressed in a way that made me feel like I was in the right place. Most notably, two friends were showing each other their bags of crystals, excitedly explaining each one in relation to the other person's astrological sign.

Yves Tumor by Jordan Hemingway

The show was one of Yves’ 47 international tour dates for 2022, and certainly did not disappoint. From the lighting to the generous amount of smoke from the fog machine and even the immaculate styling, Yves Tumor and his band embodied a classic rock and roll energy. There was crowd surfing, fans trying to rip the bass away from the band, and lyrics being screamed back for nearly every song.

You can catch Yves Tumor on tour by checking out tickets here and watch the 90s MTV-inspired promotional video below. Special thanks to Carter from Biz 3 for the press pass.

Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.


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