Sam Hunt hoped he hadn’t been forgotten. A regular in Canada in the past, the 39-year-old Georgian arrived in Montreal for the first time in his career on Saturday, headlining Lasso. With sparkling charisma, he made sure his million-dollar smile made an impression.
“I never considered myself a natural entertainer. But I love writing and playing music. What I lack in showmanship, I make up for in enthusiasm and pure joy,” Sam Hunt told The Pressa few hours before going on stage.
You only need to talk to him for a few minutes to get a feel for him. Hunt, who has billions of streams under his belt, considers himself a simple music lover who is lucky enough to share his art with crowds and play, night after night, with “four of my best friends,” in this case the musicians who support him.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Spectators at the Lasso festival on Saturday
The fact that he came to spend nearly an hour in the media tent to give interviews before performing as a headliner also says a lot about the man he is: a modest star.
It’s been 10 years since my career started. I still think that at some point, the crowds will stop showing up. But in the last two years, even though I’m not releasing music, the crowds are getting bigger and the enthusiasm is at an all-time high.
Sam Hunt, in an interview with The Press
On stage, the same discreet humility: dressed in a khaki t-shirt and white pants, the young father exuded a pleasant simplicity. The glances he occasionally threw towards the audience effectively translated pure happiness mixed with a hint of pride.
With radiant charisma, Hunt intertwined personal stories in narrative form with hit songs. Performing House Partythe singer went as far as the barriers would allow him, shaking hands with dozens of fans along the way. Body Like a Back Road And Take Your Time were also highlights of his performance.
To hell with the sun
The cloudy weather made it feel more like autumn than August on Saturday. But that didn’t seem to bother anyone. The lack of sun, it seems, doesn’t mean lack of fun.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Despite the cloudy weather, the crowd was there on Saturday.
In fact, for the second day in a row, there were plenty of cowboys per square foot on the Parc Jean-Drapeau site. Couples, families and friends: all were happy to be together for this celebration of country music.
Matt Lang, who was returning to Lasso after a first appearance in 2022, had a blast at the start of the evening. Needless to say, he “got the party started”, with classics like Sweet Caroline, We Will Rock You And TNT. All this while giving plenty of space to his guest musicians and throwing cans of beer at arm’s length, towards the audience.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Matt Lang indulged in a crowd bath… and a swig of spirits!
To the ear, moreover, the crowd on Saturday was a little louder than that of Friday. Already, during Josh Ross’ performance around 5:30 p.m., they were making themselves heard without restraint, which they continued to do throughout the evening. Offering several covers, the Ontarian notably attracted high participation with the song Iris Goo Goo Dolls.
There was something poetic at the end of Ross’ performance, where a light rain accompanied hundreds of arms in the air while his guitarist played a languid solo.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Brett Young
Californian country pop fan Brett Young and Georgia singer Kip Moore completed the main draw on this second and final day of Lasso.
Public from here
After a record-breaking edition with Chris Stapleton in 2023, ticket sales were lower this summer, much like other evenko festivals. However, there is nothing to worry about: evenko says it is satisfied with its 30,000 visitors spread over two days, confirming to The Press the holding of a fourth edition.
The audience, if we compare the three festivals organized on St. Helena Island by evenko, was older. Not that it was particularly older – there were a lot of baby boomers, but also Xers and millennials – but mainly because the other two crowds were distinguished by their youth.
It was nice, because it created a relaxed, family atmosphere, quite far from the hectic atmosphere of other festivals.
The key fact: 80% of Lasso visitors were Quebecers this year, confirming Lasso’s anchoring as a provincial force on the country scene. And there’s a reason for that: Ontario and the Maritimes, where some Osheaga festival-goers come from, for example, already have their own festival-sized offerings with Boots and Hearts and YQM Countryfest, respectively.
In 2022, Lasso filled an undeniable gap in Montreal: the absence of a country celebration that was both sustainable and large-scale. After three editions, the gap is more than filled: the entire boulevard has had a makeover.
Now, artists hear about the love that can be found in Montreal. They want to come to us to receive it, and that’s what allows the event to continue to thrive.
So, country in Montreal has officially found its niche. Even if the festival sold fewer tickets this year than previous editions, it would come as no surprise if it were to return to the city for the next 10 years. It’s done, it’s established, it’s undeniable.