Electric boys with electric toys

Give Montag credit, for a one-man act hemmed in on three sides by keyboards, percussion instruments, he's quite an active performer. It was interesting to see him employ all his gear (including a violin) to lend his set extra pizazz. I'm not wild about his singing voice or lyrics, but as electropop performers go he was an amusing one to watch.

There's something about the T-shirt font that just doesn't go with the message.



Montag shakes some stuff.





... adds a bit of violin ...



... and finally some keyboards.



His new album is called Going Places. Which seems appropriate since he's a Montrealer who moved to Vancouver (for reason he says are explained in his song Best Boy Electric) who's currently on tour of Japan.

Miracle Montreal massage

I popped over to Babylon for the second night of Mocking Music's Capital Idea Festival at Babylon. There was something of a Montreal focus, since the band features Montreal's Miracle Fortress, Montreal-to-Vancouver transplant Montag and Victoria-to-Montreal emigrant Sunset Rubdown.

Miracle Fortress features an all-indie-star line up live, including main man Graham Van Pelt and SS Cardiac gal Jessie Stein.



Montag had a lot of doodads to supplement his synth pop. He was fun, but I'm not sure how interesting he'd be on record.



A super set from Spencer Krug's Sunset Rubdown. Spencer plays piano so hard he unsettled his lampshade.



That was very good. Unfortunately I just noticed that my camera's starting to croak - note the thin red line that bysects Krug's hand. After reviewing my files I see it's shown up on every photo since the Simply Saucer show a week ago - @#$!!!! I guess I'll have to ship it off to the fixit folks. Capital Idea continues tonight at Bronson Centre Theatre with The Walkmen, Relief Maps and Acres.

• Show reminder: The Shovels, Crowded Skies and Rickity Ship perform at Irene's. Flecton Bigsky plays a benefit for the Ottawa School of Art at Babylon along with Army of Saint Joan and The Kettle Black; i(heart)music presents Young Galaxy, Sadie Hell and The Nymphets at Zaphod's.