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Mumford and Sons close out Osheaga 2013

Aug 05, 2013 By Laura Ferreiro Photography by Pat Beaudry Father John Misty

The final day of a three-day music festival is usually a bitter-sweet affair. While there’s a part of you that doesn’t want the incredible performances and time-out-of-time experience to end and real life to take over again, another part of you is utterly relieved not to have to trek for miles across muddy fields, eat overpriced festival food and stand in long lines for porta potties.

Such was the case on the final day of Montreal’s Osheaga Festival, which had highlights too numerous to mention but also took its toll on the body and pocket book. On Day Three, the downpour that had been threatening all weekend came on full force, drenching festival-goers, muddying the paths and sending thousands of people running for cover. Fortunately it didn’t last long enough to halt the proceedings, although it did empty out the field where Icona Pop was finishing up their afternoon set on the Green Stage.

Before the rains came down, the female Swedish dance duo captivated the massive crowd, and while there doesn’t seem to be much substance behind their computer-generated electro-beats, that’s not what most people look for in their summer party anthems anyhow. “It’s cool that we can travel anywhere in the world and do our thing as long as we have each other,” Caroline Hjelt noted enthusiastically before launching into “Girlfriend.” By the time they played “I Love It,” the audience was dancing and singing at the top of their lungs.

After the downpour subsided, The Lumineers arrived on the main stage to deliver their spirited folk-rock tunes to the masses. Fortunately the band’s charms extend beyond their over-exposed “Ho Hey” song, and while the sizable crowd ate that tune up and participated in the obligatory sing-along, deeper cuts from their self-titled debut album were also met with resounding responses. While they only have one full-length album under their belts, their unique songwriting and strong stage presence bode well for the future.

Meanwhile, Father John Misty delivered an entirely different type of folk-rock on the other side of Parc Jean-Drapeau. Josh Tillman, former drummer for the Fleet Foxes, has created a sexy, sarcastic rock-star persona that complements his literate, introspective songwriting. Although he drew one of the smaller crowds of the festival, those who were there were loyal, engaged fans who sang along not only to his “hit” “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings,” but to nearly every tune he performed from his debut album Fear Fun. Looking dapper in fitted gray suit, Tillman swayed and swaggered with the best of them as he sang about being the only son of a ladies man. As usual, he charmed the ladies in the crowd. “I’ve said it before but I wish there was a part of America filled with beautiful French-speaking babes,” he said to the Francophone crowd who cheered back in response. He added, “Maybe you can take over Ohio.”

While they might not realize it, many of today’s popular electro acts owe a debt to New Order, a seminal electronic dance band that formed from the ashes of Joy Division more than three decades ago. As the sun set over Osheaga, the British post-punk group delivered a lengthy set that spanned the better part of their career and included hits “Blue Monday,” “Perfect Kiss,” “True Faith” and “Bizarre Love Triangle,” the ‘80s dance anthem that caused the sizable crowd to reach a fever pitch. “Nice to see you’ve got a bit of the English weather,” frontman Bernard Sumner quipped as storm clouds gathered overhead. While founding bassist Peter Hook was absent from the proceedings (he chose to go his own way a few years ago and parted on less than amicable terms), new guys Tom Chapman and Phil Cunningham proved themselves up to the challenge of living up to the band’s legacy. Before handing over the main field to Osheaga’s closing headliners, they performed three seminal Joy Division tunes including the legendary “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” leaving the stage on a blissfully dark high note.

There was no doubt that Sunday night’s headliners, Mumford and Sons, would deliver. Even in the British band’s early days – before they were selling out arenas and headlining international festivals – their barn-stomping revival folk tunes and exciting live performances stood apart from the rest. With just two full-length albums they didn’t have much material to draw from, but that didn’t matter since there are quite a few gems amidst their relatively small catalogue.

The band began their set in the dark with minimal amplification, leading with the four-part harmonies of “Lover’s Eyes.” When the lights came on after the first verse, the band was met with deafening applause. “Merci beaucoup, Osheaga,” frontman Marcus Mumford said. “We’re so glad to be here. We came here for a party!” It’s a good thing too because they brought one of their own. The four-piece band was augmented by a three-piece horn section and a trio of string players that added life and depth to their lively performance.

Highlights included “Little Lion Man,” “Winter Winds” and the broodingly gorgeous, “Thistle and Weeds.” As their set was winding down, keyboardist Ben Lovett told the crowd that they knew it had been a long weekend, but asked them to muster up some energy to see them through. The audience happily obliged as Mumford and Sons wrapped up the unforgettable three-day Osheaga extravaganza.