Crumb and L’Rain Effortlessly Triumph at Theatre Beanfield

It’s always funny how depending on what day you see a concert, it can add a whole new dimension and energy to a show. We all know the woes of dragging yourself out to a Monday or Tuesday night show, and the enthusiasm and rejuvenation that a Friday night show could bring. So what about a Sunday show? And on top of that, a Sunday show in the middle of the last long weekend of summer?

Crumb is currently on their Amama tour and they discreetly snuck into Montreal in the middle of the Labor Day long weekend. It’s not that fans weren’t excited, I’m sure some were longing for this event for months, myself included. But one couldn't deny the sort of relaxed and laid-back energy in the air. To match the September night cold, concertgoers had to go through the motion of taking out their fall jackets for the first time - a yearly routine that somehow feels fresh and alien each time. 

The first act of the night was New York’s Discovery Zone supporting their new album Quantum Web which came out in March. The concertgoers who were fashionably late would have only caught the end of this lush and eclectic act. Complete with vaporwave-inspired visual effects and multi-synth setup, including the use of a theremin! The project led by JJ Weihl was met with warm applause with her last song, and then almost in sync, began the multitude of indie heads all staring down in the phones. They should really come up with a name for this phenomenon. 

L’Rain took the stage next. Her 2023 album I Killed Your Dog was a huge success amongst critics and experimental/electronic music fans, topping many album of the year lists. It was fascinating to see her reinterpret the album live and how that highlighted different aspects of her songs. With just a small group on stage, on keys, drums, bass, guitar and vocals, L’Rain took us on an intense musical journey through her subconscious. 

Much like the content of the album, L’Rain is no stranger to diving into the, let’s say, not so pleasant parts of the human experience. The music performed was dark, disturbing, and to best represent the feelings of guilt, anxiety, and shame, it was also overwhelming. The songs were long, with intentional dissonance, irregular and constantly shifting drum patterns with layer upon layer of sound until everything would come to an abrupt end. Throughout her performance, it felt as if she were tiptoeing across that line of what can be considered painful but also cathartic. Her on-stage presence was powerful and stern yet cool. Performing barefoot, and smiling in between sips of red wine, it seemed irrelevant if the audience was there or not. She was simply here to create and perform her art. 

Having L’Rain and Crumb on the same bill makes perfect sense when you sit down and plan things with a pencil, paper, map and compass. But hearing the two bands perform right after the other really showed the contrast of the group’s two approaches to music. 

L’Rain’s masterful approach to her craft allows her to dive back into her subconscious and take little notes and drawings that come out as her strange music. The end result is loose, raw and unpredictable. Crumb too is full of emotion, but in a different way. It is very evident that Crumb start with the feeling and are builders, re-creating a moment and using music as a tool to express that. The end result is dense, structured and perfect. The juxtaposition of the two bands was very apparent, and absolutely fascinating for the unexpecting Sunday night concertgoer. As Crumb’s performance began, I metaphorically dipped my hands into a bag of popcorn excited for more. 

The band started strong with the four musicians playing so perfectly in sync it seemed as if they were communicating telepathically. Despite being so few on stage, their sound was full and complex. One noted highlight was Bri Aronow’s saxophone solos floating on top of the songs. A perfect complement that you wouldn’t dare think to add, but made perfect sense when you heard it. The band played songs from their new album and flipped through their back catalogue seamlessly. In a modest approach to performing, they played their songs without many great pauses allowing little time for the audience to cheer and shout. That didn't stop the crowd as they ferociously applauded anytime there was a break in the song, with a handful of “I love you”s and “you rock”s shouted for good measure. 

When the show was over the crowd swiftly dispersed into the night. You could spot young fans already donning their Amama tour t-shirts to wear with pride on their metro ride home. I felt really grateful to catch these creative acts right after the release of both their successful albums. I left with a gentle reminder that, yes, there are people out there who still want to create art and make real lasting music, and I couldn’t help but shake the giddy feeling that I got to be part of it. 

Lisa Rupnik is the station manager at CJLO and co-host of The Last Stop. She is also an avid record collector, a “no nonsense” film lover and feels that her personality can be best defined by her two favourite bands: YMO and Sparks.