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Last Year's Montreal Jazz Fest Review

Erik Leijon (CHARTattack) 7•2•2008

It may seem like an elitist, overly civic-minded thing to say, but if you weren't in Montreal in 1997 to witness Bran Van 3000's shattering of the glass ceiling that seemed to block so many local bands in that dreary decade, then you truly can't comprehend how this collective of poets, artists, rappers and musicians represented a new horizon for a city that seemed well on its way to oblivion.

Two years removed from a vitriolic sovereignty referendum — where the underlying feelings of resentment that permeated from both sides came out in the wash — businesses were leaving the city left and right, and most anglophones couldn't wait to pack their belongings and head down Highway 20 to the 401. Then came Bran Van 3000's 1997 debut album, Glee, which remains the closest anyone has ever gotten to a party on a disc. It had lyrics in both English and French and signalled the worst was over and the healing process was ready to begin. In these more optimistic days, Bran Van 3000 and others deserve credit for getting us through the rough patches.

Much like how the Bran Van 3000 extended family can all go their separate ways, yet congregate at the raising of some telepathic bat signal, more than 100,000 Montrealers, tourists and fans felt their party senses tingling and simply knew to show up to this monumental event.

Beginning with ex-Doughboys frontman John Kastner on guitar, vocalists Sara Johnston and Jayne Hill (the only members beyond BV3 mastermind James Di Salvio to appear on 2001's Discosis) performed "I Won't Lie" from 2007's Rose and "Speed" from Discosis before Di Salvio enthusiastically jumped in, thanked the crowd and broke into full party-rap mode. They all looked ageless, as if they had spent the last 10 years relaxing on a tropical beach, getting their batteries charged just for this performance. Even the material from Rose sounded much better live, and it flowed seamlessly with Discosis' electronic/world music flourishes and Glee's anarchic, structureless hip-hop. The rapping on the French "Forest" and the English "Afrodiziak" exemplified the fun nature of early Bran Van as they mixed all three albums in a series of medleys.

As with any massive, outdoor jazz fest show, the sound doesn't carry well down Sainte-Catherine Street, and most people settled for an obstructed view of the stage. It didn't deter fans from going absolutely ballistic when the 13-piece group (which featured what appeared to be a lot of old jazz guys) jumped into "Astounded," with bassist Gary McKenzie singing the Curtis Mayfield parts to near perfection. This was the first time the group were playing the Discosis songs live, yet they sounded surprisingly familiar. The back-to-back playing of Glee's haunting Jayne Hill-led ballad "Everywhere" and the legendary "Drinking In L.A." inspired the crowd to sing along and wave their arms en masse. Ex-Me, Mom And Morgentaler frontwoman Kim Bingham and rapper Steve "Liquid" Hawley brought endless energy as the stage became progressively more and more filled with familiar faces.

Eleven years after proving a Montreal band didn't need to mimic their Canadian and American counterparts to achieve success, Bran Van 3000 still serve a purpose beyond nostalgia. During their hiatus, fans would speak glowingly about how a Bran Van 3000 concert was a guaranteed party. With so many young outsiders coming to Montreal for an inexpensive college education, it was always hard to explain the aura surrounding the group. After this reunion show in Montreal, it's safe to say the legend lives on and will hopefully continue to grow.

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