Marianas Trench Blows Through Montreal Like a Force of Nature [Photos]

They say that music soothes the savage beast. Last Wednesday, November 20th, at the MTelus in Montreal, it was up to music to soothe a savage toothache. Your friendly neighbourhood photographer cracked a filling a day before the show. I was fortunate enough to get it fixed hours before the concert began, but there was still some residual soreness to deal with. With the Tylenol not quite doing the trick, it was up to Marianas Trench, with their very special guest LØLØ, to help ease the pain.

I can’t speak for all of you out there on the internet, but attending a show is a powerful painkiller. Marianas Trench kicked off their “The Forces Of Nature” tour back in September, shortly after the release of their latest album, Haven. Canada’s pop-rock darlings certainly drew a large crowd. It was their first visit to Montreal since 2019, and the place was packed almost immediately after the doors opened, with the line for the merchandise table snaking around the floor. I hope the people at the end were able to buy their T-shirts before the opening act.

That’s because the opening act was a force of nature in her own right, LØLØ. Bouncing onto the stage like a Superball released upon the world, LØLØ had the crowd in the palm of her hands from the very beginning. I was probably the only person in the building who was not really familiar with LØLØ, but making these discoveries is the thing I like best about concert photography.

Self-describing her sounds as psychotically sentimental, LØLØ draws most of her inspiration from real-life moments and experiences. After releasing several EPs, LØLØ released her first album, Falling For Robots And Wishing I Was One back in June. Her live performance was terrific, and I look forward to discovering her back catalogue. If it is anything like her live performance, it will be a great discovery.

Just when you think there isn’t anything left to discover about Marianas Trench, they decide to throw a curveball. Such as opening their set with a landscaper, complete with a lawnmower. I certainly wasn’t expecting that. The grass on the stage, along with the flashy lights and illuminated costumes and mic stands, made for a unique presentation. It was different, but not enough to take away from the music being performed on stage. What I was expecting was for Canada’s Pop Rock Princes to rapidly establish their musical dominance of the genre. Harmonies are their strength, and the band sounds terrific live. Trading off vocals isn’t something that every band can do, but Marianas Trench pulls it off perfectly.

After opening with three songs from their latest album, Marianas Trench mixed things up the rest of the way. They added a fair mix of their hits to go along with a few more songs from the new album. A quick look around the sold-out MTelus revealed that there weren’t very many savage beasts in attendance. Rather, it was a room full of people who were looking for, and found a great time. Marianas Trench and their “The Forces Of Nature” tour continues into December. Head out to see them when they hit your town.

Mariana's Trench (w/ LOLO) @ MTELUS (Montreal, QC) on November 20th, 2024

30 photos