Osheaga 2024: Reviews of 30 sets at a magical weekend for music in Montreal

OMG, what an intense Osheaga weekend. The festival’s 2024 edition will be remembered for many different moments among people with disparate musical tastes, but what united everyone was the struggle with the heat and the relative ease of populating and navigating the vast Osheaga site at Parc Jean-Drapeau.

Some members of our team have attended every single edition of Osheaga since 2008, and aside from a brief run on water-refill stations on Saturday (to which the festival team responded by handing out free bottles), the planning, the infrastructure and the variety of features and vendors on site have never been this good. With the festival team seeing to people’s wants and needs, attendees were free to focus on the diverse and high-quality spread of pop, rock, hip hop and electronic artists performing from Aug. 2 to 4.

We were there to take it all in. Here’s what we thought of Osheaga 2024.

Friday, Aug. 2

Myst Milano

The first hour of Osheaga 2024 offered a picture-perfect sample of what the entire weekend would have in store: sun, sweltering heat, sweat, decibels and talent. Under a scorching 2 p.m. sky at the Island Stage, Toronto-based MC/producer myst milano. rapped, sang and danced their ass off for a modest but excited early-day crowd of fans rapping along and onlookers drawn in by myst’s undeniable shine and a performance power that could surely rock any stage, any time, anywhere. Osheaga was now in session. (Read our interview with myst milano. here.) (Darcy MacDonald)

Blonde Redhead

Until Friday, my experience with Blonde Redhead began and ended with a friend’s cranky roommate blasting them non-stop at the dawn of the millennium, and us trying to drown it out with Blackalicious. Some two and a half decades later, I suspected the beloved NYC shoegaze trio would resonate with me on a different level. Sure enough, I loved every second of their 4 p.m. set on the River Stage. For a band that’s been at it for 30 years, Blonde Redhead still performs with a subdued focus on getting it all in the air and landing it all on time. Despite being on a huge stage in a gigantic field, it felt personal. When the very last note dissipated, the band acknowledged the crowd with waves, smiles and a single, “Thank you very much.” And it was just right. (Darcy MacDonald)

The Japanese House

I’ve considered Amber Bain to be one of the more underrated artists of the past decade, as she’s written some truly great music with hints of jangle pop, alt-pop and indietronica while not getting her flowers accordingly. As she helped opened things up on a hot and humid Friday afternoon at the Valley Stage, she showed how well she can make her recordings translate to live environments. Her voice sounded sharp, she was friendly and appreciative with the crowd between songs (“Fucking hell, there’s a lot of you! How are you?”), and the set overall fit especially well in a mid-afternoon context. (Dave MacIntyre)

Mannequin Pussy

Having booked IDLES and Turnstile two years ago, it’s refreshing to see Osheaga get more punk-oriented acts on their bill in recent years. Philadelphia’s Mannequin Pussy were a good bet as a band to play on the main stage, with a backdrop giving major Ride the Lightning vibes and frontwoman Missy Dabice’s hypnotic stage presence, whether during slower garage-rock tracks or Bad Brains-esque punk barnburners. Best of all, she can fucking HOWL when she sings, and she goes on an epic anti-religious political rant (“FUCK ANY POLITICIAN DRAGGING US INTO A WAR THAT NONE OF US WANT TO BE A PART OF!”), much to the delight of those in attendance. Dabice got that crowd to scream back at her, too. Too bad they didn’t play “Drunk II,” though, as that’s the song that put me onto them in the first place. (Dave MacIntyre)

Arlo Parks

After missing out on a chance to see her last year at the Great Escape festival in Brighton, England, I made a point of seeing Arlo Parks this weekend. During her first-ever Canadian festival appearance, the artist born Anaïs Marinho (whose first language is actually French) captivated fans even as they were getting hosed by the water machines near the stage (a recurring theme given the heat levels throughout the weekend). Those who already know her music and her pillowy-soft voice well on wax won’t be in for a huge surprise when they see her live, and the influence of Radiohead’s In Rainbows looms large on several of her songs (e.g. “Caroline” and “Eugene,” the latter of which she literally said is inspired by “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”). The guitars behind her added a funky undercurrent to her sound that otherwise leans very indie pop, and I’m glad she was booked during the late afternoon for that reason. (Dave MacIntyre)

Teezo Touchdown

Bouncing onto the Green Stage in workout gear with a mic hidden in a bouquet of flowers, the Texan talent (co-signed by Travis Scott, Drake and Tyler, The Creator) wasted no time getting shit jumping with a triple-time a cappella that first-things-first made clear that this motherfucker can rap. Then, with songs that blend elements of anthem-worthy arena rock and pop-chart hip hop, Teezo showcased his singing voice and uncynical lyricism with showmanship worthy of the WWE. If Post Malone could find a lane that made him a modern FM radio staple, Teezo Touchdown’s pump-up message music is a no-brainer in terms of a potential mainstream breakthrough. Meanwhile, at Osheaga, he performed with the energy of a headliner. With no expectations on my part, his set made for a super-fun wild-card pick. (Darcy MacDonald)

Romy

The most euphoric and straight-up fun set I saw all weekend happened on day one, and it came from none other than Romy Madley Croft. The xx’s frontwoman/lead guitarist has established herself as a tour de force as an EDM-oriented solo act, and her songwriting style works especially well with the ‘90s/early aughts house, trance and Eurodance inspiring her crisply produced beats. She also knows how to write a Rolls-Royce of a pop song, and that came through gorgeously on songs like “She’s On My Mind,” “Loveher” and “The Sea.” With her bandmate Luca driving the instrumental part of the equation while playing synths and samplers (including a trance remix of Ariana Grande’s “Into You” played by both them and Romy), Romy commanded the stage and sounded as strong as ever. (Also, those sunglasses she wore were giving Bono and I absolutely loved it.) (Dave MacIntyre)

ALIAS

The Montreal-based French musician’s given name is Emmanuel Alias, and I’m starting to think it’s either a cosmic joke or a divine intervention. In under three years, the multi-instrumental, multi-genre, multi-skilled Alias has reinvented his wheel at least as many times, and every iteration so far comes correct. Recent incarnations have oscillated between a kind of weird, darkwave-y-but-not grunge sound toward a punk-but-also-stoner rock mood. Performing a new and aptly titled album, Embrace Chaos, at the Sirius XM stage on Friday, a new identity emerged, one that embraces nu-metal and hardcore punk by holding them hostage with the help of synths, while frontman Alias, unencumbered by any instrument of his own, jumps around bellowing as though he was conceived at a listening party for the Judgment Night soundtrack. Fucking wicked. (Darcy MacDonald)

Skepta

The sun was down, the air was thick and, after catching the last few minutes of Swede Bladee on the neighbouring Green stage, I was ready for something a little more appropriate to match my festival outfit of sweat, dirt and nighttime shades: a bass-pummelling from U.K. grime OG Skepta, one of the artists I had most looked forward to since the Osheaga lineup was announced. Big Smoke delivered on every level, from skill to track selection to presence to stage design to crowd hype, and kept it moving from beginning to end with hits, banter, sheen and star power. (Darcy MacDonald)

Lil Tjay and beyond

Back to back with Skepta on the Valley stage, the Bronx native —who survived seven bullets in a 2022 attempt on his life — brought the kids out in droves, but after Skepta’s command performance and a Juice WRLD singalong prompted by Lil Tjay’s DJ, I found myself disinterested after a song or two. Heading back toward the main stage area, I stopped to two-step for a few minutes to the sounds of Mochakk on the Island stage, then walked over to the main stage grounds to check on Friday headliner Noah Kahan. More accurately, I wanted to see how his crowd of die-hard fans were enjoying the show they had come to see at Osheaga. Electing to walk up the famed festival hill to get a bird’s eye view of the scene, smiles and singalongs, as expected, were the trending late-evening festival fashion highlight as the Vermont folk star brought Day One to a close. (Darcy MacDonald)

Noah Kahan

Having grown up just three hours south of the border from Montreal, in Strafford, VT, this was probably as close to a homecoming festival headline gig as Noah Kahan has gotten up till now. I only managed to catch his last two or three songs, but he clearly brought out a massive crowd — even if it still didn’t feel quite as huge as the one Chappell Roan would draw the following afternoon. Given how quickly Kahan has blown up over the past year or so, was I a new convert after what I saw? To be honest, not really. Clearly he’s a talented and charming artist with a knack for engaging songwriting, but white-guy folk-pop music generally doesn’t do much for me. Him performing while rocking a PWHL Montreal jersey was very cool to see, and seeing Arlo Parks duet with him on “Stick Season” was a lovely moment (eliciting a huge crowd singalong, of course), but overall, Kahan’s music isn’t much more than fine, pleasant and enjoyable for me. (Dave MacIntyre)

Saturday, Aug. 3

DVTR

The Sirius XM tent stage had already gathered a healthy crowd five minutes into a half-hour set from Montreal’s punk rock breakthrough band of the year. And 10 minutes after that, it already felt like we’d experienced an entire festival’s worth of energy, as the foursome pummelled the humid air relentlessly with riffs, battery and the cheeky rage of a bag of flaming dog shit left at the front door of the House of Commons. Jean Divorce goes at his guitar strings like a bomb squad expert defusing a complex explosive but also looks like he might strangle someone with the wire when he’s done. Singer Demi Lune actually went for it at one point, wrapping her mic cord around his throat. And as for the masked (and incredibly skilled) mystery team on bass and drums, I guess that when showtime is over, they crawl in the bass drum case until the next emergency. DVTR headlines Foufs on Dec. 5, so if you want to make sure Christmas is extra traumatic this year, be there. (Darcy MacDonald)

Sofia Kourtesis

Chilean producer Sofia Kourtesis was an act I’d anticipated greatly this year, but I walked away from the Island Stage feeling a bit disappointed by what I saw. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t there long enough, but I didn’t really hear any of her own material while she was spinning, though the tracks she did play were defined by cutting-edge, skittering, slamming house beats. Unluckily for me, I instead caught her set while she was bumping some tried and true club classics, e.g. Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You” and the Bucketheads’ “The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind).” Both timeless bangers, don’t get me wrong, and it was cool to see the stage hoses water the crowd so much that they created a rainbow. But I hoped to catch more of her own stuff. (Dave MacIntyre)

Denzel Curry

Being one of my favourite rappers I hadn’t yet seen live, I was thrilled to finally get a chance to catch Denzel Curry perform. Rocking a tuque and baggy black jeans (don’t die of heatstroke, dude!), he definitely seemed like a bit of an unorthodox artist to put immediately after Chappell Roan and Rancid, but that didn’t make him any less fun and engaging to watch. Rapping with equal skill, precision and comfort over more modern and classic-sounding beats, the Miami native was an excellent choice for the main stages, and I hope he stays there the next time Osheaga books him. (Dave MacIntyre)

Rancid

Thirty-three years deep in the game, the Berkley punk legends have nothing to prove, but they did it anyway. My first reaction when I saw them booked for Osheaga was, “Hell yeah!” followed by, “But really?” I suppose that with Green Day as headliners, it made sense, but Rancid never quite played in the same pop-punk, MTV star lane as their So-Cal peers, hit songs notwithstanding. Their midday slot was a winning bet under Saturday’s blue midday sky on the River Stage. Crowd surfers and moshers mingled easily with little kids sitting on their parents’ shoulders near the front stage. Moms and dads sang every word as their teen children scrolled impatiently on their phones. And as an energetic, sincere performance closed with a singalong to “Ruby Soho,” there wasn’t a frown in the house. (Darcy MacDonald)

Brittany Howard

Shorty after Rancid, back on the other side of the festival grounds at the Green Stage, the powerful soul gospel voice of Alabama Shakes, who played Osheaga in 2017, showed us the difference between her duties with the band that made her famous and what she brings as a solo artist. To be fair, her six-piece band and duo of backup singers play a huge part in defining it. Whereas the Shakes lean a little more bluesy, Howard’s style goes a little further toward 1970s-era AM radio soul and R&B, with an edgier performance energy reminiscent of James Brown’s “Say It Loud” Black-pride era. In any case, Howard makes music to move the spirit and plays it with passion and authentic joy. In terms of my own Osheaga weekend, this was the moment it all came together for keeps. (Darcy MacDonald)

T-Pain

After Howard and company crescendoed and waved their final goodbye, the lights went up right next door on the Valley Stage, and club rap legend/AutoTune renaissance man T-Pain brought another element to the party with a level of swag that only an artist who gets paid to make hit songs even better can boast. “Up Down,” boom. “Cyclone,” boom boom. “2 Step,” boom boom boom. “Good Life.” Hello, goodbye. Shit’s on. The kids went absolutely mental as banger after banger after banger… you get the picture. I don’t think anyone had the one-two combo of Brittany Howard and T-Pain on their bingo card as one of the savviest programming choices of the weekend, so hats off to the organizers. (Darcy MacDonald)

Smashing Pumpkins

Okay, honestly, I’ve never been able to stand Billy Corgan. I don’t think there’s a band with as many great songs that I dislike more. And the 2024 iteration of their lineup reminded me of those special editions of the Star Wars trilogy that George Lucas shittied-up with bad CGI and other unnecessary monkeying around in the late 1990s as a cash-grab. 

“I used to beeeee a litttttle boyyyyy…”

Nah, bruh. You came into the world in that stupid black robe, when the doctor told your parents, “Congratulations, it’s a full-grown pretentious dingus!”

Listless and disinterested as they were, what can I say? They have great songs, they played a few of them, and the crowd seemed to enjoy themselves. And, so as not to be a totally pretentious dingus myself, I may not like the guy, but I can’t think of too many other singers who have kept their voice as intact after three decades. (Darcy MacDonald)

Green Day

Green Day has never been my favourite band, either, but I think it has more to do with the fact that I was already pretty deeply into some of the bands that influenced them by the time they broke out in the mid-’90s, and I was just, just old enough to not be resold the same rebirth-of-punk story my generation had just been beaten over the head with two years prior. That said, I’m way more open-minded to the reality of Green Day having survived fad-hood to become a modern classic rock legacy band. Judging by what seemed like thousands of American Idiot and Dookie t-shirts sported by fest-goers of all ages on Saturday, Green Day was an inspired intergenerational pick to headline the second day of a festival that, if we’re being honest, booked a ton of great acts this year, but sort of lacked overall oomph.

If it weren’t for Chappell Roan’s last-minute surprise stardom, Noah Kahan was Osheaga’s only truly current headline draw, and the majority of his audience was not necessarily reflective of the crowd that typically attends the festival. By the same token, neither is Green Day’s core fanbase. But the pop punkers do have a nostalgia factor that bridges the gap between older, OG listeners and Gen Z-ers who likely remember “Wake Me Up When September Ends” playing in the car when they were still in safety seats. 

It’s no surprise that Green Day was great because they’re a band that hasn’t had any surprises in their arsenal since achieving mega-stardom many moons ago. (Unless you count deafeningly loud, startling pyro. Yikes!) 

The surprise was always just that they got so popular. But like Rancid earlier in the day, one undeniable truth is how much fun Billie Joe, Tré and Mike still have together just being Green Day. And that was all they needed to do to leave their mark on Osheaga. (Darcy MacDonald)

To read our review of Chappell Roan, please click here.

Sunday, Aug. 4

Planet Giza

Every gig is a tough gig for Planet Giza’s Tony Stone, who does an admirable job as the Montreal hip hop trio’s lone emcee — handling vocals, charming the crowd and leading the participatory aspect of the show: arm-waving, finger-snapping, thumbs-upping, repetition, even a pinky promise to dance our asses off. Stone is backed by a drummer and bassist, stationed way in the background, with his producer cohorts (almost) completely out of sight backstage, so it feels like a solo gig, made even more challenging by Sunday afternoon’s scorching heat, and (according to Stone) no water to be had for the talent on the Valley Stage at that moment. The crowd, however, which was reasonably sized for the first set of the day, was repeatedly drenched by the roving water canon, offering relief for everyone enjoying the breezy, jazzy tracks off Planet Giza’s Ready When You Are album — even if the first round of water was hot (!!!). My only note to Stone is to make some space for natural applause instead of telling the crowd to “make some noise” the second each track ended — it would have happened, because everyone was having a good time. (Lorraine Carpenter)

Confidence Man

Never expect anything less than a fun set from one of the most fun musical acts of the moment. Australia’s Confidence Man — composed of duo Sugar Bones and Janet Planet — absolutely commanded the Island stage on Sunday afternoon. Opening with their high-energy banger with DJ Seinfeld from last year, “Now U Do”, and with costume changes and dance routines galore throughout the set, the duo had the charisma to equal the vibrance of their music — which can swing between house, trance, disco and even Northern soul and indie sleaze. Both members have attitude, swagger and stage presence dripping from every pore, and the synth player and drummer wearing black hats with black sheets covering their faces was also a hilarious touch. (Dave MacIntyre)

Amyl and the Sniffers

It’s impossible to describe the Aussie punk rockers’ Sunday afternoon throwdown at the Valley Stage as anything less than thunderous. A few minutes before Amyl and the Sniffers took the stage, a single flash of lightning and a clap of thunder threatened to ruin the afternoon. Still, at 5 p.m. sharp, singer Amy Taylor and the boys took position to belt out “Balaclava Lover Boogie,” delighting a small but hyper-excited crowd of devotees. 

A media colleague described the foursome as looking like the average gang of brawlers stumbling out of an Aussie pub looking for a fight. And indeed, Taylor’s unrelenting, jumping, spinning, flailing and psychotic smile suggest that muscle memory compels her to move as if she’s beating the crap out of somebody when she hits the stage. 

A few minutes into the set, an apparent severe weather warning forced Osheaga stages to shut down — which was a head-scratcher given that storm conditions seemed to have come and gone and it would be another 30 minutes before we even felt a drop of rain. Thankfully, that turned out to be only a short pause, and before the majority of the crowd had time to make up its mind whether to stay or go, Amyl and the Sniffers were back on stage rocking hard for what will surely remain a memorable moment for all. (Darcy MacDonald)

Kevin Abstract

As someone who never got to see Brockhampton perform live before disbanding, I made sure I didn’t miss a solo performance by the “best boy band since One Direction”’s fearless leader. Walking onstage to some indie pop bangers from yesteryear (notably Grouplove’s “Tongue Tied”), Kevin Abstract’s solo material seems to emphasize him singing more than rapping, but it suits him rather well. Performing solo work, primarily, with a brief medley of Brockhampton tracks (including “GUMMY” and “BUZZCUT”), Kevin had the kind of charisma that would justify the heavy use of pyro while performing, and the fans felt it, too. (Dave MacIntyre)

Cadence Weapon

The Canadian rapper promised all bangers, and all bangers were what he served up for what was — surprisingly to me, at least — his first Osheaga appearance, under the Sirius XM tent stage. Personable, comical and confident in his lane after nearly 20 years of persistence on the national music scene, it’s safe to say the Edmonton native (who called Montreal home for several years) earned some fresh fans, one by one, with a half-hour set mostly composed of songs from his 2021 LP Parallel World and his latest, Rollercoaster. Shouting out Montreal producers including M. Bootyspoon (who was in the crowd), Jacques Green and Kaytranada as he performed their respective collaborations, Cadence Weapon turned his inaugural Osheaga appearance into a bona fide homecoming party. (Darcy MacDonald)

Alvvays

One of the biggest problems of this year’s festival was artists playing their most famous songs right at the start of their sets, leaving those running from other stages out in the cold. This was my (admittedly petty) problem with Alvvays playing “In Undertow” before I could arrive at their set. No matter — Molly Rankin and co sounded as sharp and as excellent as they always have. Alvvays are experts in the field of writing catchy dream pop-meets-indie rock tunes with killer melodies and a touch of surf rock, and watching them run through a bunch of those tunes, despite only being three albums deep, was wonderful to see. Even if their sound is an incredibly distinctive one, they never manage to sound boring or played out, and that is no easy feat. They certainly didn’t sound played out while performing on Sunday, either. (Dave MacIntyre)

Still Woozy

One of the enduring stalwarts of the last-decade-or-so’s bedroom pop explosion, Still Woozy is a unique breed of that type of artist. Sure, his music can swing lo-fi at times, but he clearly pulls a lot of influence from funk and R&B, helping him walk the line between quirky psychedelia and his more delicate, soulful side. He’s charming in a very subtle kind of way, and that’s probably one of his biggest calling cards — just look at the big flowers behind him on stage, to boot! The crowd seemed in awe of him, too, whether playing guitar (electric or acoustic) or just being a straight-up frontman. He’s an affable-looking guy with some affable-sounding tunes, and I’m glad I got to catch him. (Dave MacIntyre)

Tyla

Much like Chappell Roan should have been moved up the bill on Saturday, Tyla should have played one of the main stages instead of the Valley Stage, where a mass of humanity transferred from one side of the site to the other to see the South African pop star. If you don’t think you know Tyla by name (or by her 2024 Met Gala sand dress), you definitely know Tyla — her song “Water” has been ubiquitous since it was released a year ago. The 22-year-old singer emerged alongside a giant tiger statue that dominated the stage, with red and yellow stage lights accentuating the sensuous side of her sound and her dancing — the crowd cheered when she busted out some twerking, and there were six other dancers on stage, three women engaged in energetic choreography and three men gyrating around Tyla. Having only released one album, Tyla filled out her set with dance interludes, which kept the crowd engaged until the obvious finale. “Water” arrived shortly after it started raining, which didn’t deter the crowd from singing along to the perfect lyrics to cap a heat-wave: “Make me sweat, make he hotter, make me lose my breath, make me water.” (LC)

Jungle

Having missed their Place Bell show last fall, I was looking forward to seeing the U.K.-based dance music outfit’s latest touring incarnation with key collaborator Lydia Kitto now taking centre stage as the face of the popular party collective. Jungle unabashedly wears Bee Gees and ABBA-inspired pop/disco boogie on its sleeve, weaving it into drawn-out, hand-clapping, booty-shaking raver funk that is as credible to genre fanatics as it is accessible to festival-goers looking for something fun to do on a Sunday night, where jungle law prevails at Osheaga. (Darcy MacDonald)

SZA

Having seen SZA on the Green Stage at Osheaga back in 2015, when she talked about stage fright and being the first woman to sign to Top Dawg in our July cover story, it’s evident that the past nine years have been huge for SZA. As a frequently charting artist, Grammy and Brit award-winner, Oscar and Golden Globe nominee, among many other accolades, SZA — who’s on the cusp of releasing her third album Lana, following up on the massive success of her 2022 release SOS — was a great get for Osheaga, and a fabulous way to cap main-stage festivities as the heat was breaking on Sunday night. As good as her 2015 set was, it was a humble afternoon show with nothing in the way of a stage set-up — last night’s set was practically at the level of a live Disney show in terms of production values, with sets, dancers, dazzling lights and a massive crowd holding up their phone lights and loving every minute. (LC)

Justice

By now, whoever was left standing at Osheaga’s second stage area was in it for keeps. If you weren’t at the main stage for SZA by now, you likely weren’t going anywhere as London on the Valley Stage gave way to Paris, and the undisputed cooler-than-cool Justice, on the Green Stage. 

Smoke, subdued white spotlighting and a single keyboard note on loop signalled the arrival of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, and a teasing build-up of the Hitchcockian intro to Pharoah Monch’s “Simon Says,” re-tooled as the introductory sound of their 2007 breakthrough Cross, swelled crowd excitement until the perfectly explosive drop of “Genesis” told us to start getting down. 

Remixing their hits and bending out the sample DNA of banger after banger, the French duo proceeded to build, destroy and reconstruct the night’s vibe, over and over. Their only job was to give the final hour of three overstimulated, overheated and overwhelmingly energetic three festival days the finale its faithful devotees deserved. And goddammit, that’s what they did. They did Osheaga Justice. (Darcy MacDonald)

To see our Osheaga 2024 style gallery, please click here. For more on Osheaga, please visit their website.

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