Writers Note: of Montreal’s frontman Kevin Barnes goes by all pronouns, hence the use of various ones throughout the piece.
Barnes accompanied by colorfully clad horned devils and their strobe light weapons
(The Emory Wheel/Noor Aldayeh)
What do owls with luminescent LED wings; horned devils armed with strobe lights; faceless, death-dropping figures in rainbow jumpsuits and wigs and pigs with antlers and huge lobster claws piggy-backing a one-eyed, tin-foiled dragon have in common? of Montreal’s Sept. 24th tour stop in Atlanta, of course!
It’s a warm Saturday night at the Buckhead Theater, and misty fog fills a room of individuals ranging from young adults adorned in neon light-up outfits to middle-aged couples sipping on beer and canned seltzers. A figure clad in a red-tinted, skin-tight, skeleton print unitard runs around the stage — marveling aloud about how amazing an experience it is to all be in a room together in this formation, at this time of existence.
(The Emory Wheel/Noor Aldayeh)
Having been in the indie pop scene since the late 90s, it should have been no surprise that this group knows what they’re doing when it comes to putting on a performance. Hailing from our neighbor, Athens, Ga., of Montreal has served as a steady, genre-bending, norm-defying crew for the last two decades.
The night began with opening act and fellow Athenian, Locate S,1, livening up the stage with bass-heavy, groovy tunes and a funky style to match. Even with a portion of the audience causing distractions during her set, Christina Schneider handled the entirety of the night with boldness and grace all in one breath.
Christina Schneider of Locate S,1
(The Emory Wheel/Noor Aldayeh)
Soon after, the aforementioned skeleton-figure gave an inspiring monologue about their gratitude for being born and living all the way up until being present at the show. He finished by beckoning of Montreal to the stage, who entered accompanied by figures sporting huge Moai-esque heads. “Lancs Theme” began to play, and the group was already starting with a bang, which was then followed by crowd and fan favorite, “it’s different for girls.” With the figures exchanging their Moai heads for rainbow wigs, the night had already taken on a wacky tone like no other, ready to be continued with every new scene brought to the stage.
This show was the absolute epitome of camp. There was not a single moment of the night where I wasn’t enthralled about the events unfolding in front of my eyes. Frontman and main songwriter, Kevin Barnes, was an absolute delight throughout the entirety of the night. Entering the stage adorned in a glittering cape, neon orange eyeliner and an iconic blue wig, she was truly a force with which to be reckoned. Their visible joy fueled my own, and I found myself laughing out of nowhere multiple times throughout the night.
(The Emory Wheel/Noor Aldayeh)
The first song the band played from their 2022 album “Freewave Lucifer f<ck f^ck f>ck” was “Marijuana’s a working Woman,” As the chaos of the stage constantly beckoned you to engage with it visually, it was almost easy to miss the genius that was audibly occurring in the music, surrounding and feeding the show. In this song, Barnes reflects, “When people ask me my gender / I just tell them brunette,” to which the audience erupted in cheers. I couldn’t help but agree.
Considering the absolute breadth of their discography — with 25 studio albums since 1997 — I do feel as though the distribution of old and new songs, obscure to the mainstream, was very tastefully done. While I myself was sad not to hear “Lysergic Bliss,” I was simultaneously so elated by the curation of the setlist that it didn’t feel like a true loss.
A glittering dragon holds a deer-horned pig with lobster claws
(The Emory Wheel / Noor Aldayeh)
Even days after the show, I have prefaced any description of this performance by clarifying that I was indeed not on hard drugs while attending. The “Nightsift” choreography, which featured figures with owl heads and huge iridescent LED wings that surrounded Barnes as they sang, was an especially notable highlight for me in the show. I was glued to the spot, starstruck by the magic occurring in front of my eyes as these crazy synths were playing in the backdrop.
Barnes performs “Nightsift” (The Emory Wheel / Noor Aldayeh)
of Montreal’s show was everything that they are as artists: eclectic, fun, unpredictable, colorful, queer, camp and a downright good time through and through. I walked out of the venue that night feeling invigorated, happy and ready to break out in a dance at any moment. There is simply no way to fully encapsulate the magic that was this show.
Thank you, of Montreal, and may the camp-ness live on.
Noor Aldayeh (21Ox / 23C) is from Torrance, California, majoring in Film and Media Studies. At Emory, she serves as a student photographer for the Communications Office and Communications and Outreach chair of the Arab Cultural Association. Aldayeh previously interned at WABE in Atlanta, and loves to photograph around the city in her free time. When she's not at a concert, you can probably find her adding an excessive amount of songs to her Spotify library or doing work in her second home: the Visual Arts Building. She loves a good mocha, everything 70s, and getting as involved in the Emory and Atlanta arts scene as she can. You can contact her at: noor.sarah.aldayeh@emory.edu
