What do you get when one of the world’s largest jazz festivals has it’s final show on a beautiful evening, a few days after a week long recording breaking heat wave? You get a crap load of people, that’s for sure.
The War On Drugs closed off the 2018 edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival this year and the crowd was a plenty. The Philadelphia rockers drew in a pretty packed Place des Festivals, and a pretty packed photo pit with about 30 photographers, ranging from iphoners to 400mmers.
Similar to the Ottawa Blues Festival, you don’t only have jazz at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Case in point, The War On Drugs are way more rock than jazz. But what you do get in the 2 weeks of indoor and outdoor programming are extremely talented musicians from various walks of life. From your standard jazz legends you would expect at a jazz festival, they bring multiple award winners like Seal, groove inspired artists like !!! and Metronomy, rock legends like Jethro Tull. No matter what shows you end up seeing, you are sure to find some people who are at the top of their artistry.
The War On Drugs is no different. Having been around for over 12 years, they have only been in the city twice before. Back in 2011 at Casa del Popolo, 2015 at the Osheaga festival, and now the jazz fest. It was great seeing them on stage !!
I was covering the show for iHeartradio Canada and CHOM 97.7, you can see the full media galleries HERE.
