Bleu Jeans Bleu and Reney Ray Highlight Day Two of St. Jean Festivities in Longueuil [Photos]

The Saint-Jean Baptiste holiday continued in Longueuil on June 24th with a change of venue but the same great music. The festivities moved to the Parc de la Cité in the borough of Saint-Hubert, where a large stage had been set up for the second day of shows. As a bonus, the clouds lifted, and the sun came out to provide a glorious day, aided by the great music to come.

It was in 1971 that Creedence Clearwater Revival asked us if we had ever seen the rain, and after most of La Fête Nationale weekend got washed away, those who attended saw way more rain than we wanted. Once the clouds finally cleared, the sun made a later afternoon appearance just in time for Reney Ray to hit the stage. Even if the sun had failed to show, the people in attendance would have been warmed by the ray of sunshine up on the stage that is Reney Ray.

Her latest album, L’album temporaire, was released back in April, and she describes it as being a very personal album. It’s about dealing with real-life problems and accepting that we are all imperfect. She said the album title comes from telling herself that the bad times are temporary and won’t last. One would certainly hope her “bad times” have passed because there were only smiles during her performance. Both from Reney Ray and her band up on the stage and the many fans who came out to see her performance.

Every once in a while, a song comes around that just ends up getting in your head, and you can’t get it out. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, it’s a song that is so ridiculously terrific that it ends up staying there for several years, and the band goes on and creates other earworms and goes on to great success. That would be our headliner for the second night of La Fête Nationale, which took place in Saint-Hubert, Bleu Jeans Bleu.

Comedy bands don’t usually have a long shelf life, even less so Comedy Country Bands. But, when you’re good, it doesn’t matter what you play, the people will notice. After about six years, beginning in 2019, people finally began to notice. Bleu Jeans Bleu, the band with members named after different brands of blue jeans, had a hit on their hands in the form of “Cotton ouaté.” It has been five years since the song was released, and not only does it still get the sing-a-long treatment when it hits the radio, but it has become a pop culture phrase here as soon as the temperature drops.

A series of hits have followed, including “J’ai mangé trop de patates frites” which is a favourite of my family when we end up bringing an order of French fries home for dinner. It was also a top moment during the concert as singer Claude Cobra went into the crowd and urged fans to shout out the popular phrase at the top of their lungs as a sort of spiritual release. Amen, indeed. Bleu Jeans Bleu released their latest album, Top Minou, back in 2022, and the band just keeps on rolling. The songs will probably never be nominated for a Grammy, though they have been nominated for five Félix Awards, and their fans won’t bat an eyelash. Not everything needs to be serious; everyone needs to have a little fun, and fun is what Bleu Jeans Bleu specializes in.

Though Reney Ray is not currently touring, her show is worth checking out when she hits the road again. Bleu Jean Bleu will be touring all over Québec for the rest of the summer and into the fall. To complete the experience, remember to bring a sweatshirt and some French fries.

Bleu Jeans Bleu (w/ Reney Ray) @ Parc de la Cité, Saint-Hubert (Longuelli, QC) on June 24, 2024

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