Quebec Summer Festival | Nostalgia in voices on the Plains

A pleasant summer heat, a sudden downpour, crowded streets, but above all, everywhere, music. The last weekend of the Festival d’été de Québec is underway. Between the shows canceled due to the rain, the frenzy downtown and Alanis Morissette’s triumphant performance on the Plains, the capital continued to move to the rhythm of the FEQ. Back on the last two days, in words and pictures.

Marissa Groguhe
The Press

The FEQ lives in the streets and the Plains. Everything is in the atmosphere that reigns in downtown Quebec. Tourists and locals of all ages come together in this celebration of music. The colors of the festival line the Grande Allée. Just strain your ears to hear a concert taking place nearby. After a rainy Thursday that somewhat cooled festival-goers, Friday allowed them to take full advantage of the experience that Quebec offers when the FEQ sets up there.

It was an evening to let nostalgia enchant us. If you lived (and loved) the era of the album Jagged Little Pillthis evening was made for you, since Alanis Morissette brought to the Plains her show put on for the 25th anniversary of the album (which was to be presented in 2020).

But even without having known this golden age of the career of the Canadian singer (the author of these lines was only 2 years old when the disc was released), the show had something to delight. First, because we sometimes forget that Alanis Morissette’s repertoire has things to offer beyond Jagged Little Pill. And also, simply, because she puts on quite a show (especially vocally), whether you can sing in unison or not.

Nostalgia when you hold us

What could be more nostalgic than a few minutes of archive footage to start the performance? We are immersed in the best moments of Alanis’ career, then in all the moments when other artists were influenced by her music. Covers, tributes, excerpts from testimonies, sketches… The editing shows all the influence of Jagged Little Pill on popular culture.

When the music finally begins, the singer takes the stage to perform All I Really Want. She walks on stage, from left to right, microphone in hand. Her dyed blond hair, a satiny red jacket over a white t-shirt and black pants, Converse on her feet: Alanis is cool without even trying.

She takes out her harmonica (as often afterwards in the evening), barely out of breath, to accompany her musicians. We would like to hear it better. The problem will be solved quickly.

Alanis Morissette is all voice. This voice that we recognize among a thousand. This voice which interpreted us Friday evening, in the disorder, all the pieces of the album which launched and marked its career (as well as some other more recent ones).

The 48-year-old singer-songwriter is greeted by an already won over crowd. A few notes from Head Over Feet or of Reasons I Drink resound, and already the public is jubilant, ready to accompany the singer. The energy is not always equal throughout the show, Alanis Morissette does not interact much with her audience, one of the main downsides of the evening.

Queen Alanis

The Sum 41 show, not far away, very clearly competed with the presence of Alanis Morissette. The Plains are packed with people, but the crowds are far from compact. Those who have decided to spend the evening with Alanis will have had the right to a moment quite worthy of the legend that has been created around the Canadian.

However, we felt Alanis Morissette almost hasty with this long-awaited show. Despite this, by bringing back her cult album, the singer pleased an audience from several generations, eager to be brought back to the time when they had heard ironic for the first time.

When the time came to launch this great success, announcing the imminent end of the concert, the festival-goers took it upon themselves to sing the song almost in full, Alanis’s microphone held out to them.

Alanis Morissette and her Jagged Little Pill did good on this summer Friday evening. You had to see the young girls who weren’t born when the album came out, the men in their thirties and the groups of friends of all ages shouting at each other on You Oughta Know, just before a flashy reminder. A striking return from the one who was the queen of Canadian pop-rock.

punk rock evening

Earlier in the day, at the Parc de la Francophonie, so many people had presented themselves so early in front of the two stages that it was not possible to get all the festival-goers in. A screen was installed on a stage further to broadcast the popular Sum 41 concert.

First, at the end of the afternoon, the Nobro quartet showed that an all-female group will never have anything to envy to the Sum 41 of this world. Yes, the Montrealers, who sound so good on recording, took a while to find their bearings on stage. But it is a question of practice, of experience. The soul of rockers is there. The energy is there. Melodies and riffs too. He still lacks the ease on stage (vocal and physical), the ability to really captivate a crowd.

The OBGMs for their part gave a punk lesson. What a show, what an atmosphere! The crowd lacked enthusiasm at first, but the Toronto musicians let out all the energy (close to rage) that permeates their music, until they convinced the festival-goers – thanks in particular to mushpits initiated by the leader descended into the crowd. Very quickly, everyone realized that The OBGMs deserved to be discovered and appreciated.

Millencolin and Pennywise set the table for the main course, the adored Sum 41. It was good to live on Friday at the FEQ.

Accommodation costs for this report were paid by the Festival d’été de Québec.