“Hello, Empty Room!”

I did a disservice to our readers last week by not noticing in time and thus not publicizing the most excellent Jazz Fest booking of Danish trio WhoMadeWho, whose retro rock-disco crossover has long made them a personal favourite. Buried in the festival programming and drowned out by the din of so many excellent shows last week, the show got barely any buzz anywhere, and a last-minute round of chats and texts confirmed that almost no one I know had even heard it was happening. The joke was on us, Montreal, because the show was an absolute delight. Only about 50 or 60 people were there to huddle to the front of Club Soda, reminiscent of 2008’s tragically under-attended Poni Hoax show at the very same venue and festival. Trend? I’m going to surmise it is. Hey, Jazz Fest! These bands have big crowds in Montreal. Let them know about it!

The band’s irresistibly charming, chatty stage presence got just about everyone dancing in the sparse club. Their huge, polished live sound perfectly balanced riffy rock licks, smooth vocal harmonies, a thumping rhythm section, slickly integrated synths and effects, and backing drum machines to preserve the funky edge in rockier moments. The setup was so minimal that it was almost impossible to believe the three sharply dressed, moustachioed men in suspenders were doing it all themselves with honestly very little sequencing. The new tracks they tested out, from an upcoming album, were dark, psychedelic and even jarring at moments, and their visual art accompaniment was phantasmagoric. Given their musical prowess and excellent sound, these guys are honestly right up there with Soulwax and Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem and SMD and Hercules & Love Affair—the best live dance music bands out there. See them some day, and let’s hope they get to headline a huge party in Montreal sooner than later. Bookers and promoters, take note.

BIG, BIG, BIG...jack.oatmon@gmail.com