Three out of six groups came from Quebec tonight at the Parc de la Francophonie. While the other bands gave interesting performances, it was our space that stood out the most.
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The fans were ready for the Quebec Redneck Bluegrass Project. Alexander Caputo
Rednecks and proud of it
Snowmobile on stage and beer in hand, the Quebec Redneck Bluegrass Project was like a band headlining the Parc de la Francophonie.
Thousands of hands went up to the sky as the band performed “Tsé quand ca va ben.” The track Me d’mandait ma blonde was also well received by the audience, who danced and jumped to the rhythm of the violins and guitars.
From one end of the performance to the other, the dynamic quartet shared the bottle of whiskey, stringing together success after success, always making sure to engage the audience in their most beautiful way between songs. .
“Quebec, are you thirsty?” the group sang, playing chu ben plus cool su’a brushes.
It was violinist Madeleine Bouchard who had the honor of revving the snowmobile’s engine on stage. She obeyed in a puff of smoke while Quebec chanted “Donnes-y du Choke!” This was followed by the popular Pantera Artic Cat Triple 800, obviously a crowd pleaser.
Judging by the “Câlisse Québec, I’m tripping over you!” by the singer of the group, the formation from Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean had a very nice evening, as did their followers.
The crowd burned during the Quebec Redneck Bluegrass Project’s performance. Alexander Caputo
The Planet Smashers
Montreal ska-punk band The Planet Smashers upped the festive spirit even further at Parc de la Francophonie. The electric guitars of punk and the trumpets of ska, a genre of music defined as blues with Caribbean influences, made a great team on Life Of The Party and Too Much Information.
The group, which claims to have a pronounced tendency to celebrate and make wrong decisions, stayed calm during their performance. Make no mistake, however, this was not a show for the meek; Talk to mosh pit enthusiasts and crowd surfers who kept them at bay.
Originally from Montreal, the Planet Smashers were the best of the three ska-punk bands to take the stage. Alexander Caputo
Local ska punk was better
The American bands Mustard Plug and Streetlight Manifesto spoke behind The Planet Smashers. Of the three formations working in ska-punk, the Quebecers gave the best performance.
While the fans in front of the stage seemed to appreciate it, a large portion of the audience took advantage of Mustard Plug’s passageway to relieve themselves and have a drink. The instrumental part of this show was flawless, but the lyrics were less obvious.
The Parc de la Francophonie began to empty as headliner Streetlight Manifesto took the stage. Still, they put on a quality performance that leaned more toward punk than ska.
On a positive note, those who have followed Mustard Plug since its debut in 1992 claim that the energy on stage is still the same after all these years.
From the Rigodon that moves
The Carotté formation was the first to take the stage. The Quebec group did a good job offering an electrified facility as requested. Banjo, violin and electric guitar were brought together to warm up the already crowded audience in the Parc de la Francophonie.
“As you know, Carotté is a party band, a kitchen party,” Éric Roberge, the group’s lead singer, told the crowd.
Carotté, which deals with traditional Quebec music, draws on La Bolduc’s repertoire and is entitled “The Street Vendor”, an ode to our province’s agriculture.
“Long live farming!” the band members shouted before leaving the stage.
Carotté gave the audience a great lesson in Rigodon. Alexander Caputo
Feminine punk
Manitoba duo Mobina Galore are definitely one to watch in the punk scene for years to come. Those who had just returned from a concert series in Germany had their first performance at the FEQ.
“What a damn cool festival,” they said between songs.
The two women had enough to make fans of 2000s punk nostalgic by offering a style that can be compared to Blink-182 or Sum 41. Throughout their performance, they managed to do an excellent job of balancing the instruments with the melodic side that we know the greats of this style of music.
The group would have had a prominent place in the music of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater video games.
Punk duo Mobina Galore is one to watch for the years to come. Alexander Caputo