Kaytranada Off Piknic Montreal May 20

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Music, Nightlife, Shows

Kaytranada finally brings it all back home

by Darcy MacDonald

“Watching Kaytranada take it in and give it all back, with a live set of album favourites, classic remixes and even an old obscurity or two was a testament to how far he’s come as an artist and, dare I say, as a celebrity.”

If you were lucky enough to bear witness to Montreal’s most sought-after production talent come of age in small clubs and laptop beatmaker jams early in the previous decade, you’ve loved every second of Kaytranada’s evolution. 

But even if you were only lucky enough to make it to either of his two performances this past Thursday and Friday at Parc Jean Drapeau kicking off Piknic Électronik’s 2022 season with a pair of sold-out, double-header Off Piknics (rescheduled from last October) you’re still part of the love.

Love is in the air whenever Kaytra works it out for his fans. And although he’s played a few hometown shows since dropping Bubba in late 2019, this was his first major reception since the album landed him two Grammys and furthered the international acclaim he’s steadily collected since emerging on Montreal’s beat scene just over a decade ago.

Kaytranada’s artistic persona has always shone with humility, and the charm of his stage presence — once upon a time as an opening act and later as a top-billed headliner at myriad Montreal festivals and events — owed much to his shy demeanour.

Post-Grammy Kaytra, however, is a man who knows he’s fully in charge of his destiny. Gone is any need to come off bashful about it in front of his hometown. 

That’s not to say he hasn’t retained his humility. But he seems now more comfortable with the importance of his place in the world of music, and more fully accepting of the city’s embrace. 

Kaytranada finally brings it all back home — Off Piknic at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, May 19

With well over 12,000 people in attendance both nights in a row, singing, dancing and smiling together (at last) in the warm spring air, it’s fair to say our embrace is sincere and without limitation. 

Watching Kaytranada take it in and give it all back, with a live set of album favourites, classic remixes and even an old obscurity or two thrown in for his day-ones was a testament to how far he’s come as an artist and, dare I say, as a celebrity.

Bringing out surprise guest and rising pop star Kali Uchis for Friday’s set to perform their Bubba collaboration “10%” drives home the fact that Kaytanada is no longer just that humble, cool guy we’re all proud to be down with. He is still that, but he’s become something bigger. He’s not “Montreal’s this-or-that.” He’s Kaytanada, completely, and we’re still just lucky he loves his hometown as much as we love him.

Guest openers rounding out the Off Piknic bill both days included Sango and Montreal’s Planet Giza.

The smoke signal has been sent: summer is officially on, Piknic Électronik is back in its traditional form with excellent programming most Sundays, all season long (and with several more Off Piknics scheduled into early October). 

And goddamit, it’s time to dance again. As we enjoy it all to the fullest, bet on Kaytranada’s next move being another showstopper. And it won’t have anything to do with luck. ■

For Piknic Électronik’s full 2022 lineup and ticket information, please click here.

For more Montreal music coverage, please visit the Music section.

Posted in Music, Nightlife, Shows

by Darcy MacDonald

Contributor
Darcy MacDonald has been with Cult MTL since day one, a decade ago. Which means today, he’s a middle-aged white guy (albeit one more interested in other people’s ideas than in his own). He was previously a columnist and reporter for Montreal Mirror, and has also created content (FKA “written”) for RBMA, Noisey, Montreal Gazette, The National Post and probably some other great places he’s forgotten about. Music, culture, community and miscellaneous questions in search of answers all come across his desk, sooner or later.