Gigi Brown’s Experience at Osheaga

Osheaga weekend has come and gone, and I along with 151,000 other attendees were able to spend the weekend on Jean Drapeau watching incredible artists do what they are great at. Here are my rankings for the top 10 concerts of the weekend! 

10. Tate McRae

Tate McRae returned back home to Canada on Saturday night to headline her first North American festival. 

After a short delay, the crowd's excitement and anticipation had reached a climax and as soon as the screens burst to life with videos of a golden scroll, the crowd could no longer contain themselves. Tate McRae wasted no more time as she appeared on stage, opening with “Keep Watching” while surrounded by her white-clad dancers and greek pillars.

It was truly a great show. I may not be a huge fan of Tate’s music, but it’s not lost on me how incredible of a performer she is. While the dance breaks and fireworks definitely lived up to my expectations, what I really appreciated were the more emotional parts of the show as she expressed how excited she was to be back home in Canada. McRae took us down memory lane as she reminisced about her first show in Montreal, which she stated remains one of her favourite shows to date. 

While talking about her rise to fame which started on YouTube in her Calgary bedroom, she shared, “Don’t be too embarrassed or scared to chase your dreams,” before launching into “you broke me first” her breakout hit from 2021. As someone who started her radio show at 10 years old and is now covering Osheaga for CJLO  eight years later, I love it when people who also started out really young get to achieve their dreams and then encourage other young people to follow theirs. 

Tate ended the night with hit after hit, from “exes” to “Greedy” to “Sports Car” -- she just kept going! Every time we thought she was done she had something else to give us. It was quite humorous to be standing by the exit as she was wrapping up and to hear the reactions of the fans who had just left under the false assumption that she was done. Gasps and groans could be heard as people recognized their favourite Tate McRae songs, before quickly morphing into a chorus of lyrics leading all the way to Jean-Drapeau Metro. 

While this show wasn’t necessarily the highlight of my weekend, it was definitely special to live this moment with McRae and watch her debut her new Golden era. The drama contained in her show and the excitement her fans had definitely made it a show I was happy to have experienced live.  

9. Malcolm Todd

Before Malcolm Todd came out from backstage, the crowd waiting for him to appear were already chanting his name, much to the chagrin of the Angine de Poitrine fans trying to enjoy the end of their show. Those chants continued and grew louder after Angine left the stage, before Malcolm Todd stepped out to a roaring audience. 

My first thought about his performance was that the background footage was incredibly cool. What started out as a red background featuring footage spelling out Malcolm Todd in a cut-out style transformed into a delayed, film grain taping of his set. Pairing that with his all red microphone and stand, it quickly became my favourite of the visuals featured on the big screens. 

Obviously the setlist included his viral songs like “Earrings” and “Chest Pain (I Love)” but he also played some deeper cuts. Todd had a cheeky little moment as he told the crowd to shazam his next song since it was never a TikTok hit, before starting to sing the vulnerable ballad, “Cheer Me On,” but it didn’t seem like his fans needed to check the lyrics at all. I was standing right next to a group of guys who were shouting every lyric. My favourite moment from them was during Todd’s song “Breathe,” when one of them shouted at the stage “Breathe into me Todd!” before going right back to singing with his friends. 

While it is undeniable that Todd is cool, he wasn’t too worried about looking it, encouraging everyone in the audience to feel free and let loose. One thing I love is a white boy who’s willing to twirl and boogie to the music and Malcolm Todd not only pranced around stage and shook his booty, but he clearly had a blast doing so. He even performed a cover of iCarly’s theme song, really hammering home the fact that you can be an incredible electric guitar player, look straight out of a Y2K high school movie and not worry about being judged while hitting the robot. I think the group of guys next to me in the crowd proves that his mentality transferred to his fans too. 

I enjoyed myself a lot at Malcolm Todd and would go see him again 100% but before I do, I definitely need to listen to his songs more so I don’t feel left out at the next sing-along. 

8. Avenoir

I arrived to Osheaga on Friday afternoon with 2 minutes to spare before Avenoir’s show on the Belairdirect Valley Stage. For those of you unfamiliar with Osheaga, the Valley Stage is on the other end of the festival grounds from the main entrance. But as I entered, Super Plage was announcing that Virginie B. was coming out to perform with him and she strutted out wearing a CJLO T-Shirt. Considering this a good omen from the universe I very confidently walked off to try and find Avenoir’s set. I ended up lost for 20 minutes because I had walked in the complete opposite direction. When I finally got to the right place, I was sweaty and a little out of breath, but this was all forgotten when I heard Avenoir’s buttery voice start to sing. 

I walked in as he was in the middle of playing a new single, before he transitioned into “Art of War”, the lead single off of his 2025 debut album Mirage. Going off of the crowd’s reaction alone it seems obvious to me that this Canadian R&B artist is bound to be a household name. Avenoir ended his set with the fan favourite “Shameless” and it was a great sing-along, I had it stuck in my head for the rest of the day. 

The story goes that Avenoir first started his music career back in 2022 to try and win a girl back by releasing his debut single “TMW” on Valentine’s Day. While I cannot confirm if he was successful in winning that girl back, I can confirm that we were all swooning for him on Friday and that his venture into music was definitely the right choice. I for one cannot wait to hear the new music he’s been cooking up! 

7. Twenty One Pilots

Twenty One Pilots headlined on Friday and it was an eye-opening experience. All day, fans of the Ohian duo could be spotted with their blacked out necks, red hair and themed outfits. For me, their fans are truly what made this show special.

I showed up on Friday knowing that I wanted to split my time between the two final acts of the night: Twenty One Pilots, and Geese. So I showed up early to Twenty One Pilots and tried to get myself a spot with a good view. On Friday, I originally thought that where I chose to stop was a mistake because when it came time to leave to go see Geese, I was pretty much trapped by the massive crowd. But in hindsight, the massive crowd is exactly what made the show so fun. 

Having grown up in the 2010s, I obviously knew the top hits of Twenty One Pilots so I was happily shouting along to “Heathens” with everyone else, but for all the other songs I was probably the only person in my section not singing. The friend group in front of me and the duo behind me were screaming the lyrics so loudly I almost couldn’t hear Tyler Joseph sing, and that was beautiful. It should also be stated that when the drummer Josh Dun appeared on stage in a crop top, multiple people around me visibly gasped with one girl shouting “OMG he’s wearing a crop top?” The ravenous love that their audience had for them says more to me about their band than their hit songs. 

The graphics and pyrotechnics that accompanied their set were so fun and I stayed for much longer than I had anticipated. But alas I decided to leave and go check out Geese. As I was walking away from the main stage, Twenty One Pilots started their cover of Milky Chance’s “Stolen Dance” and followed it up with their “Tear in My Heart.” This should have been my indication to stay but I was committed to figuring out what the deal with Geese was. 

I still haven’t figured that out, but what I have realized is I made a huge mistake in missing the rest of Twenty One Pilots. Luckily I made it back for their last song “Trees” as they stood on drum islands before confetti erupted over the crowd. Their interactions with the crowd and all the little snippets I’ve seen online since Friday have given me such severe FOMO, partly explaining why they aren’t in my top 5. 

6. Angine de Poitrine

Friday night, I got home after an exhausting but exhilarating day. I survived the metro ride back and was excitedly relaying all my stories from the day to my family. Opening Instagram, I saw all the videos that were being made as people realized that there was Angine de Poitrine merchandise at Osheaga, and that the band had been added to Osheaga’s Music on Paper posters. My exhaustion was forgotten and replaced with growing excitement for the following day. Having missed their record-breaking Jazz Fest show the universe was granting me an extra chance to go see the Quebec stars and I was not going to miss it.  

It was quite an exciting show. While there were a few around me who were audibly questioning what they were listening to, the amount of people who were completely into it outnumbered them. Now Angine de Poitrine Vol II. is not an album I’d put on for everyday life, but I fundamentally disagree with some other radio hosts I’ve heard in the past months talking about how they just “don’t get it” and don’t like what these two do. What is there not to get? In a world where social media decides who gets famous, celebrity beauty standards are insanely toxic, and algorithms choose hit songs based off of the first 30 seconds, it comes as no shock to me that a funky, mysterious duo like Angine de Poitrine is being welcomed. Their math rock is a breath of fresh air and I’m here for it. We need a little more creativity and good ol’ guitar in our world right now. 

Watching them absolutely kill it on Saturday, surrounded by fans doing their moves and trying to understand what they were saying was definitely a highlight. I’d like to imagine that by the end of their set the doubters were doing the diamond salute along with everyone else. 

5. Leon Bridges

 

Friday’s festival lineup held another surprise for festival goers, with Leon Bridges being added 2 days before the festival started. A couple hours before Leon Bridges was scheduled, I was overhearing a few people trying to reschedule their day to make sure they got to see him play. I really hope those strangers were able to because it was an incredible performance. 

I knew the show was about to be killer when Leon Bridges’ backup singers and dancers stepped out. The three enchanting women stepped out to a chorus of gasps and whoops wearing green and blue dresses, decked out in gold. As they started to dance, Bridges stepped out from backstage and joined them. 

Bridges definitely brought the groove to Osheaga, performing songs off of his brand new album, Happiness Anytime: Part 1, released on July 18. Bridges and his band definitely proved why the album was called that with a performance so full of joy. I wish I could have snapped a photo of Leon’s trumpet player as she switched to keeping the rhythm with a shaker, I’ve never seen anyone look that happy to do an arm workout for as long as she did. 

Bridges stepped aside at one point to give his back up singers center stage as they covered Dawn Penn’s “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No).” It was incredible. But the best aspect of his show was his final song, “River.” This beautiful song will get people crying in their living rooms on a normal day, hearing it live was so much more powerful. It was definitely the most powerful song I heard sung at this year’s festival and was the best one to end on as everyone knew the lyrics. Many audience members were heard singing the song softly to each other as they walked away. 

4. Museums    

 

It’s no surprise to anyone that tunes into The Gigi Brown Experience on Sunday mornings that I ran to catch Museums at Osheaga -- and boy, am I glad I did. 

The Montreal four-piece opened up their show with “In Waves,” my favourite song of theirs and, in the most un-biased way possible, a great soundtrack to the bustling and sunny day 2 of Osheaga. Ali Kouri took center stage with a smile and vocals that had festival-goers stopping in their tracks as they walked by the SiriusXM Sessions tent. Their 30-minute set truly showcased their depth, mixing slower tracks like “Ur Best” with high-energy sing-alongs like the outro of the title track of their EP “This Can’t Be It.” 

The four musicians looked so comfortable up on that stage and the dynamic between them was so fun to watch. Even when Anthony’s bass stopped working near the end of the show, he was able to shake it off and turn it into a hilarious moment with the audience. I really hope this is the first in a long line of Osheaga appearances for this “so iconic” band. They gave it everything they had on stage and all the smiles they were exchanging were so rightfully deserved. The last time I saw them was for their EP release at Turbo Haus back in June, and I can confidently say that this was the best I’ve ever seen or heard them play. Lou looked effortlessly cool on guitar, with Nic and Anthony a dynamic duo of a rhythm section, and Ali holding the crowd in her hands with a stage presence that will surely lead them to bigger stages at many festivals in their future.

Their little corner of the festival was a beautiful homage to the community they’ve built, with many in the crowd wearing Museums merch. As someone who doesn’t often go to big festivals, it was so comforting to be back at a true Montreal show in the middle of an incredible but overwhelming weekend. It felt very fitting that their stage was in the same area as the St. Viateur stand.

3. Sombr 

Saturday was a particularly busy day for me. I spent the day running across the festival to catch all the different shows I wanted to see. So by the time 7 PM came around I was really very tired, and hungry. During Mt. Joy’s set I made the decision to walk over to the food trucks and buy myself a poutine. Right as I bought my food and walked back over to the Coors Light Mountain Stage, the crowd went wild and Sombr’s iconic entrance started. Appearing on screen in a black convertible with none other than Malcolm Todd, Sombr strutted through the backstage area with a drink in hand. His characteristic shenanigans were fun to watch and definitely got the crowd ready to enjoy his first-ever Montreal show.     

I was so busy trying to maneuver through the packed crowd with my poutine while singing along to the lyrics that I have completely forgotten what the first song was. But I do know that he played all of his hits like “undressed” and “homewrecker” for his adoring audience, and even debuted his new song “my body isn’t ready.” To be fully honest, when this song came out I was not a fan, I had no idea what the song was actually about and even though Inde Navarette was in the music video it just wasn’t my favourite. 

However, before Sombr started playing it he opened up about what the song really meant to him, and dedicated it to anyone in the crowd who “looks in the mirror and doesn’t always like what they see,” he continued, “You’re not alone, I love you, you’re very beautiful. Keep pushing baby.” I would be lying if this message wasn’t incredibly touching to hear and after hearing this song live, I really heard the lyrics for the first time. Not only that but before starting this song, the francophones in the crowd got a treat as he told the crowd “Je t’aime” and there’s nothing a Montréal crowd loves more than hearing artists pronounce Montréal right and saying a few words in French. It may have been Sombr’s first time in Montréal, but he sure has our franglais down pat, “Je m’appelle Shane, but je m’appelle Sombr also” said the young New Yorker, and we ate it up. 

There were a few new Sombr songs that I discovered on Saturday night that have quickly been added to my favourites, one that comes to mind is the sweet “crushing” and “i wish i knew how to quit you.” Again, I knew both of these songs, but before hearing them on Saturday night they didn’t mean anything special to me. Now whenever I sing “i wish i knew how to quit you” I’ll remember dancing with my poutine held high and singing in sync with thousands of others. 

Sombr’s vulnerability has always been something to appreciate but hearing it live is a completely different experience, so while he may cover it up with silly antics and cool guitars I really hope this was not his last time in Montreal. 

2. Zara Larsson

 

Zara Larsson stepped out onto Osheaga's Bell River stage to the sound of waves crashing and with the light of a never-ending sun behind her. What followed next was an hour-long testament to her decade plus run of incredible music that made my jaw drop-drop.  

Starting off strong with “Midnight Sun”, she instantly got the crowd up and dancing, but Larsson wanted more. “It might be raining, but I want you to sweat,” said the Swedish sensation, encouraging the huge crowd to dance in the rain. And dance we did! Luckily, pretty much as soon as the "Summertime Queen" stepped out, the rain slowed before coming to a complete stop. 

Her show contained hits like “WOW”, “Stateside” and of course “Lush Life”. Right before Larsson started singing “Lush Life” she explained, "I've been singing this song for over 10 years now and it just keeps getting better and better, thanks to you guys.” The international hit song’s renaissance was only further proved by the young fan that Larsson pulled onto the stage to dance, Ms. Olivia, who got showered with love from the crowd. Even though the song might have been older than she was, it did not matter and she absolutely killed it. It is an incredibly special feeling to be in a crowd of people actually dancing, and the viral choreographed dance moves made sure that even uncoordinated people, such as myself, were able to partake in the magic of dancing together. For her encore, Larsson came back out to sing “Symphony” and re-did “Midnight Sun” (it is never ending after all). 

Larsson has mastered her act and is truly an example of what it means to be a girl’s girl. Not only did she spend the night serenading us with her powerhouse of a voice, she also spent the night hyping up everyone around her. I can only speak for myself, but her energy truly made me feel as pretty and sexy as she was encouraging us to be. It is always a proud moment when touring artists tell us how much they love our energy and according to her we were, “The best crowd on tour so far.” While I do not know what her crowds in other cities have been like, hers was definitely the best crowd at Osheaga day 3. 

Larsson's final message was, “summer is endless as long as it comes from within.” After Sunday’s performance I believe this whole heartedly. Her ability to unleash pure joy and a sense of community was so powerful that she made the rain stop over Jean Drapeau Island, if only for her show. 

1. Lorde

I’m sure this comes as no surprise to anyone who was at this concert but Lorde’s performance at Osheaga was spectacular. I have to admit that I really dropped the ball on her last album, Virgin, and only knew a few of the singles like “Man of the Year” and “What Was That.” However, this did not hinder my ability to enjoy her set at all, because the songs I didn’t know were so impressive to watch. Her show was a technical masterpiece, with giant floating screens that acted as platforms for Lorde and her dancers to dance on to projections of her heartbeat, which quite frankly stood as a metaphor for our own heart rates picking up as she called Montréal girls pretty and got us all jumping around. Lorde sang her songs while lying down, dancing, and running, demonstrating her strength beautifully. 

The entire weekend I had been totally fine to be at Osheaga alone, specifically at the end of the night when I never needed to worry about losing someone in the metro, but Lorde is an artist that my mom introduced me to, so the night was flooded with memories of her. I mean, even before Lorde set foot on stage, one of my mom’s current favourite songs “Messy” by Lola Young was playing over the crowd to get everyone excited. While Lorde was singing, all of a sudden I was 13 singing “Royals” as a pick-me up, then I was 10 years old listening to “Team” with my mom through a shared pair of wired earbuds on the metro, and the second her stage flooded with green lighting and she told Osheaga to “lock in”, I was back in the car, screaming the words to “Green Light” with my mom and doing all the silly little dance moves we have for our song. 

The emotions and memories tied to her songs was something the New Zealand icon reflected on throughout the night too. Funnily enough, Lorde first came to Osheaga with her mom when she was 17. This night was a big full circle moment for the artist and she expressed gratitude for all the people in the crowd who have been in it with her over the past 13 years, as she and we got weird haircuts, made strange fashion choices, and ultimately changed. For her “that’s real love,” and I couldn’t agree more. 

Lorde also reflected on the true meaning of music, “I just want you to get closer and closer to yourself,” she said, “that’s what I’m here to do, and what music is supposed to do.” I can guarantee that she accomplished her goal of creating music that filled our deepest pains and joys, as I (and many others) were overcome by emotions while participating in the rave Lorde transformed Osheaga into. She really hammered that point home when she transitioned from “Green Light” into her last song, her oldest and most sacred song, “Ribs.” The chorus of “Ribs” really hits differently when you’re standing alone in a crowd of people after a wonderful weekend. Don’t get me wrong -- I didn’t feel lonely. As the rain started up again and I started crying, I was blown away by how cool it was to be in a crowd of people turning to each other and singing, or rather, shouting the line “You’re the only friend I need.”  Music can be such a great tool for connection and Lorde definitely created a space on Sunday night for Osheaga-goers to feel connected to each other and her. 

(I love you mommy.)