SLOWDIVE @ THE OLYMPIA
On Tuesday night, I found myself running from Berri-UQAM station to L’Olympia in the bone-chilling frost, so as not to miss a minute of the show. I had been looking forward to the Slowdive concert, opened by 19-year-old digicore artist quannnic, for a while now — and they did not disappoint. Gently elbowing my way through fresh-faced high school grads and jaded midlife-crisis-sufferers alike, I made it to the fourth row with plenty of time to spar
For OG Slowdive fans, the thought of seeing the core band live seemed inconceivable for over two decades. After the release of 1991’s Just for a Day and 1993’s Souvlaki, the English band became associated with shoegaze, a murkily-defined subgenre of alternative characterized by ethereal, washed-out soundscapes and heavy use of guitar pedal effect such as reverb, tremolo, and distortion. Since their final show in 1994 (at grimy Toronto ven Lee’s Palace, of all places), Slowdive has been cited as an influence for bands among the ran of Beach House, The Smashing Pumpkins, and M83. Twenty years later, Slowdive official reunited at Primavera Sound in 2014 and continue to drive their sound forward with 2017’s self-titled and 2023’s everything is alive.
Donned in a backwards-printed Balenciaga hoodie, opening act quannnic came out promptly at 8:00. Following the success of 2022’s life imitates life from their freshman record kenopsia and a co-headlining tour with deadAir Records labelmate Jane Remover, the Florida-born musician has become the de facto face of zoomergaze, a subgenre that is exactly what you’d expect: shoegaze made by Gen-Z. Incorporating elements of glitchcore and emo while keeping the quintessential pedal effects, quannnic makes music for a generation of teens who want drown in their headphones and, disdainfully, know what /mu/ is. Fans of midwest emo outfit Sunny Day Real Estate will be happy to note that 1994’s Diary and 2023’s Stepdream share the same album cover artist, Christopher Thompson. Navigating the oft-contradictory worlds of analog instrumentation and digital virality, quannnic joins the newly-critically-acclaimed bands of the quarter century: julie, feeble little horse, and bar italia (all intentionally stylized in lowercase, obviously).
Accompanied by a 3-piece band, quannnic delivered a hardcore set, thankfully playing my personal favourites, soil, South, and Comatose. While the vocals could have been delivered in a more confident manner, the guitars were expertly handled —no surprises there, as quannn has been practicing guitar ever since they were six. The Deftones and Nirvana influence we evident, although quannnic seems to be taking their music in a new direction with Wrenches, the first single in their upcoming album rollout. All in all, they’re definitely an artist to keep eye on in 2025.
By 9:15, it was time for Slowdive. The orchestral set immediately became showered in ambient vibrato and beautifully oscillating lights, fit for a band with such wide appeal and cult acclaim. Co-vocalist Rachel Goswell was the star of the night, as she seamlessly transitioned between keys, modular synth, and guitar. The 80-minute set feature deeper cuts like chained to a cloud, as well as favourites such as Alison, Machine Gun, and, of course, When the Sun Hits.
While the audience participation was lacking apart from a few nods of appreciation, the band more than made up for it with their cheery, focused stage presence. For someone who hadonly listened to the song a few times prior to the show, I was happily headbanging to 40 Days by the time the show came to a close. It was a treat for 17-year-old TikTok teens, 45-year-old nostalgic dads, and everyone in between.
-Firuza H
