Recap: Our 5 Favourite Acts From M for Montreal 2017

M for Montreal isn't the biggest festival on the circuit by any means, and especially in comparison to its city's famous Jazz Fest or Osheaga, but it's a favourite among music fans and industry folks alike for its eclectic programming and thoughtfully-planned, multi-venue experience. The 2017 installment didn't disappoint, with four days of fantastic performances from some of Canada's best talent alongside international acts in a bevy of interesting venues—including a casino and a strip club.

M's Programming Director Mikey Rishwain has built a reputation as not only an amazing curator but as the face of the festival in many ways. He somehow manages to be everywhere at once, popping up at the majority of the shows and even leading delegates on his infamous M for Mikey tour, where he shows off his favourite sights and sounds of the city. It's just an example of how M takes hospitality to a new level, and makes enjoying the city and meeting new friends a priority as much as the music.

Read on for our favourite acts we saw at this year's M for Montreal.

Singer/songwriter Geoffrey headlined a Wednesday night show at La Sala Rossa (the Red Room) on the first night of the festival. This gorgeous space is in a historic building built by the left wing Jewish community in 1932 on what is now Montreal's famed St-Laurent district. In front of lettering spelling out his album title, Coastline, the BonSound artist and his band treated the crowd to a set of his unique brand which blends elements of indie rock with electronic and downtempo trip-hop. I admittedly hadn't heard of Geoffrey before watching his performance at M but it left me impressed and inspired to say the least. I've been listening to Coastline on Spotify since and have been loving the way he weaves metaphors about travel and nature in with the more abstract tropes of freedom and change. Be sure to check it out if you haven't yet!

I've met Pierre Kwenders before; attended his party Moonshine and seen him DJ; and I've even listened to his music before but his talent took on a new life and meaning when I saw him perform on Thursday night at Club Soda, yet another dope midsize venue that had this Torontonian green with envy when I thought about my own city's venue "situation" (but that's another story altogether). His recent album MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time makes for an amazing live show thanks to it's danceable nature and pleasing blend of afrobeats, reggae, reggaeton and hip-hop. I found myself forgetting that I was listening to a different language and instead enjoyed the vibes of the universal language—music—with "Sexus Plexus Nexus" being a personal fave. Pierre himself is a bonafide star; with his commanding stage presence and contagious dance moves, I'm betting on 2018 being an extremely busy festival year for this artist.

With ties to Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto, rapper, poet, writer, host, author and sometimes DJ Cadence Weapon has firmly established himself as one of the jewels of our small scene, and one of the most creative artists in the country. He hasn't dropped an album since 2012's Hope in Dirt City, but with a self-titled LP due to drop in the new year, Cadence used his M for Montreal showcase to preview some of his new material including singles including singles "My Crew (Wooo)" (produced by Kaytranada), "Connor McDavid," and "High Rise" (produced by Jacques Greene, who was also in the audience). Despite having the somewhat unsavory job of performing last for an audience who'd already watched 3 hours of performances, this seasoned performer rocked the house at Casa Del Popolo with his trademark energy and humor.

Back at Casa del Popolo on Friday, Partner headlined the Heavy Trip showcase alongside Tess Roby and Absolutely Free. The queer indie duo often talk about Tegan & Sara being their biggest influences, but you could transport Partner back to the early '90s and plonk them next to Weezer or Veruca Salt and they'd be perfectly at home. Their breakout hit was 2015's short and sweet “The ‘Ellen’ Page” which they followed up with a few loosies; however it finally feels like Partner's time since they dropped In Search Of Lost Time in September, giving them a whole bag of new material—19 tracks to be exact—to bring to the stage. Backed by a full band, their big hooks and catchy melodies had everyone rocking out.

Similar to Cadence Weapon, Clairmont the Second had a difficult job when he took the stage on Thursday night at M for Montreal: he was the final performer of the evening and while the crowd had dwindled a bit by the time he took the stage at Café Cléopatra, the Toronto teen sensation didn't let it affect his energy and wowed a small but enthusiastic crowd, many of whom had been waiting to see him all night. The rapper—who also produces, mixes and masters all his own material as well as directing his own videos—ran through material from his two acclaimed albums Quest For Milk and Honey and this year's Lil Mont From The Ave, and showcased a versatility beyond his young years as he delivered a sometimes serious and sometimes lighthearted show. Clairmont truly looks at home on the stage and we look forward to seeing him on a larger scale in 2018.