(STEEPLE)

From September 24th to September 28th, the 24th edition of POP Montreal took place across
the city in some of Montreal’s most iconic venues. The spectacularly curated lineup featured an
assortment of performers, including local groups, Canadian talent, and internationally-based
artists. Over the course of the 5 days, venues were consistently full of hungry music-lovers
ready to soak up everything from intimate showcases to high-energy late-night sets. Here’s a
recap of some noteworthy performances and moments that defined this year’s POP, highlighting
the diversity, creative forces, and community spirit that keeps this festival at the centre of the
city’s cultural calendar each year.

On Wednesday, the day of the festival’s kick-off, Icelandic folktronica outfit múm ignited Théâtre
Fairmount’s stage with their fuzzy Nordic ballads; vocalist/cellist Gyða Valtýsdóttir germinating
warmth and light on stage with her trusty cello strapped onto her stomach. Taking the stage
before múm was Laurie Torres (a Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist) on the keys, conjuring
an evocative jazzy air accompanied by clarinet and drums reminiscent of Denmark’s Svaneborg
Kardyb with a chilly Montreal twist.

(MÙM)

On Thursday, Montreal's own Garden of Love doled out a handspun, genre-bending set at
Toscadura—a mixed bag of garage fun and 80s gauze. Also on the bill was Cootie Catcher, a
twee indietronica band based in Toronto; their set list was filled with light, dancy, stuck-in-your-
head beats, embellished with the addition of live scratching and sampling. Following their
performance were the raw and noisy alt-rock extraordinaires Good Flying Birds, hailing from
Indiana, who electrified the crowd with their hooky jams and thrilling tambourine skills—a teaser
for their upcoming album, talulah's tape, out on October 17th.

(GOOD FLYING BIRDS)

On Friday night, Théâtre Rialto hosted two fiery acts: Toronto's Holy Fuck, serving up driving,
dance-commanding electronica, and Montreal's own TEKE::TEKE with their wonky, flute-laden
psychedelic bangers. Yuki Isami, TEKE::TEKE's flutist, swayed the audience by wickedly
shredding on multiple flutes throughout the show; the cherry on top of the band's all-over-the-
place performance, which tossed in elements of surf rock, choreography, and funky costumes.
This performance flaunted their colourful and creative palette, cementing TEKE::TEKE as a
must-see band. Just upstairs at Rialto Hall, Jules Reidy dropped POP's most lackluster display
of performative button pressing and guitar strumming with little overall musical value, inciting
yawns across the audience. Sparing and recharging the crowd was New York City's Chanel
Beads. Singer Shane Lavers screamed the lyrics of the band's warped metallic melodies to
fans, with mouths either agape or singing right back.

(HOLY FUCK)

Saturday night's highlights included Andy Boay (of Tonstartssbandht) at L'Hémisphère Gauche,
delivering deft guitar work dusted over melancholy chamber pop, and U.S. Girls' smouldering
performance at Théâtre Rialto, complete with Morse code, costume changes, and tunes from all
across their diverse catalogue. U.S. Girls' bandleader, Meg Remy, proved with a rapturous
performance of the 12-minute-long "Bookends" that she's feeling fiercer than ever and ready to
serve U.S. Girls' unabashed truth to audiences again after releasing the soulful yet sassy
Scratch It, the group’s 9th full-length record, earlier this year.

The jewel of POP’s Sunday night was STEEPLE’s performance at P’tit Ours, which started as a
set of almost jazzy numbers and morphed into a raucous, love-filled flourish. The show was a
beacon of what live music is all about—bringing people together, despite being in one of the
most humid basement venues imaginable. POP Montreal is one of the strongest community
forces that reminds us of the strength of the arts and its roots in this city. As STEEPLE’s final
notes faded, there was a feeling that POP’s heartbeat would keep echoing long after the amps
were unplugged. POP 2026 can’t come soon enough!