FESTIVAL RECAP: Festival de Musique Émergente Once Again Masters The Multi-Day Celebration Of Music
Spending my Labour Day long weekend in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec is becoming a bit of a tradition for me. Last year, I was invited to the small former mining town to check out the annual music festival FME (Festival de Musique Émergente), and of course I had to make a return for the 2023 edition. Curated by Montreal indie label Mothland, the small yet mighty music festival is a glorious celebration of independent artists from Quebec and beyond as the town’s downtown core turns into a multi-block radius of live music, beer, and partying.
With festivities kicking off on Thursday evening right up to late Sunday night, FME once again was one of the most exciting weekends of the summer. Fortunately I had an all-access pass to the festival and while the four days flew by, each one was packed with mesmerizing performances of various genres; from post-punk to psych-rock, to intergalactic techno, and of course Franco-pop, style was no limitation in the festival’s curation.
The unofficial of the motto of the festival from the past few years has been, “the magic is what happens between the stages”. Truthful in its words and spirit, FME 2023 was a perfect balance of magnetic shows and community. Reuniting with friends from last year and building new friendships went hand-in-hand with venue hopping and beer drinking, constructing a FME pyramid of glory.
An underrated trait of Rouyn-Noranda is its exceptional live music infrastructure, boasting a handful of live music bars, alongside multipurpose spaces, and FME signature pop-up “secret shows” amongst alleyways and train yards. With all the shows within a 15 minute walking radius, the eagerness to soak in as much music as possible is a welcomed accomplishment, especially as the main stage finishes up and the late night programming begins.
Thursday’s opening night was a dominate welcoming party, with a free BBQ for attendees feeding the masses before the shows began. Having settled in with a beer in hand (or both), Événement SiriusXM (the festival’s main stage) was where the action kicked off, as Amsterdam’s Mauskovic Dance Band brought their polyrhythmic dance music to the masses, before an electrifying psych-rock set from Quebec act Bon Enfant. The back-to-back party bands was a rejuvenating lineup following an eight hour drive and 6am start to the day.
It was time to get my steps in, with venue hopping and secret show-hunting next on the agenda. The parking lot of the infamous 24/7 poutine spot Morasse was home to the first pop-up show of the festival, coming from Montreal alt-hip-hop artist Emma Beko, illuminated by the white light of the sign above her.
After stopping in for a quick snack, the late night programming began, starting with Toronto-based DJ/producer Myst Milano, who filled the large stage with her ’90s-house inspired hip-hop and solo choreography, making for an energetic performance as the clock struck midnight.
With another two hours of music left in the opening day, I headed to the local bar Diable Rond to catch the blistering psych-punk music of Population II and the eccentric art-punk of Pressure Pin, both of which were nothing short of explosive. Thankful for my earplugs, the night’s final shows were a fury of guitar and Animal-esque drumming, as both acts brought the heat for opening night.
Friday afternoon began with Montreal-based label Bonsound hosting their annual industry BBQ and garden party. With free drinks, hot dogs, and live music served poolside and lakeside on a beautiful Friday afternoon, the weekend was continuing to head in the right direction.
The evening kicked off with a few 5 à 7 shows, including Vancouver-based label Mint Records’ showcase featuring jangle-pop act Heaven For Real, and Nora Kelly Band. I quickly jetted over to the local Polonais Cocktail Bar, where Montreal hip-hop artist Fraud Perry took over the space with her dynamic and confident performance, climbing on chairs and luring the audience that spilled out through the open floor-to-ceiling windows onto the sidewalk, into her hand.
*ding*
Another secret show notification, this time with the instructions to head over to the old foundry by the railroad tracks to catch Belgian electronic dance band TUKAN. With the sunsetting just in time to illuminate the band with golden hour lighting, the instrumental group played for a continuous 45 minutes, needing no words to transport the crowd to a dimly lit underground venue with their invigorating dance music (something they would have the pleasure of accomplishing the following day).
In similar stride to the previous night, Friday’s late night programming brought feisty and electrifying bands to entertain the crowd til the early hours of the next morning. I tried to catch as many of the overlapping bands as I could, squeezing Rip Pop Mutant, Alias, The Psychotic Monks, La Sécurité, and MilkTV into the last two and a half hours of the night. Each with their own brand of crafty songwriting and dominating energy, none of which fell short of expectation.
FME is not a sprint, but a marathon. Four days jam packed with events, shows, socializing, and enjoying the scenic town of Rouyn-Noranda means finding time to relax and enjoy a coffee or the comfort of a quiet hotel room. Saturday afternoon started casually, with Flavian Berger igniting a small dance party in an empty parking lot for the day’s first secret show, donning his looped-minimalistic synth-house beats and off the cuff vocal melodies.
Fast-forward to the early evening, and the FME media & pros were invited to a feast of sorts, with a long table filled to the brim with grilled meats, vegetables, and salads, clearly enough to feed about 100 guests, and providing sustenance for what would be yet another energetic late night. After filling up on wine and food, we headed back down to the festival grounds to continue the music discovery.
Milk & Bone, and Les Louanges were the first set of shows to kick off the night. While both had their own strengths to note, it was hard to deny Les Louanges’ magnetic and ferocious stage presence. His alternative blend of Franco-pop, R&B, rock, and a dash of electro-pop was nothing short of energizing, as the packed crowd at the main stage loudly let him know their appreciation for his formidable set.
The afternoon secret show would end up foreshadowing what was yet to come, with electronic artists dominating the roster. Tunisian-Belgian artist Ammar 808 brought his Afro-inspired bass music before giving over the stage to intergalactic-techno puppet duo Mugzy & Maam. Not only was their mix a guaranteed party-starter, but watching the pair of felt creatures interact on stage truly brought the unique show to life.
Mesmerized by the duo, I managed to slip away to catch the final moments of hardcore group Truckviolence. Arriving in time for their final two songs (which at this point the lead singer had stripped down to just his briefs while being drenched in sweat), I made sure to make the most of my time, throwing my body through the mosh pit in tandem with the blistering, hardcore punk music from the Montreal-based newcomers.
With adrenaline flowing through my body in sync with the handful of beers consumed throughout the night, the next logical step was to check out TUKAN once again, this time from the aforementioned basement venue. Neon lights, a crowded dance floor, and infectious melodic dance music from live musicians was a much needed finale to the memorable third night of the festival. The Belgian band had certainly made a name for themselves at the festival, as everyone continued to name drop them in conversation over the weekend.
Rouyn-Noranda is located on the picturesque Lac Osisko, and its natural beauty was the backdrop for most of the shows at FME on its final night. The lakeside stage of Guinguette chez Edmund hosted a handful of colourful performances as the sun set, including the dizzying psych-rock of Hippie Hourrah, and the magnificent rock n’ roll flavoured music of LUMIÈRE. With the programming winding down, the main stage being taken apart, and the energy of the festival-goers running low, the final late night set of shows brought one final punch to the spirit of FME. Montreal art-rock artist Samwoy brought his masterful punk energy and humanistic lyricism to the Cabaret de la Dernière Chance for the penultimate performance of my weekend.
Not to be forgotten, the festival’s final act was French noise rock/art-punks Saints Martyrs. With a sole red spotlight swinging from the ceiling of the basement venue, the interlocking hardcore vocals and unrelenting instrumentation of the band stirred the crowd with aggression, both through the music and the exorcist performance art that championed the band’s musical spirit. Needless to say, it was a welcomed, yet unexpected finish to the festival.
Departing early Monday morning back to Toronto is always a bittersweet end to the long weekend, with the memories of the past four days locked in, and a much-needed reset on the other side of an eight hour drive. As far as festivals go, FME is worthy of its 21 year rein, bringing together independent music lovers from across Quebec, Canada, and internationally. Its size and curation are two major components of its success, but the vibrancy that is always remembered year after year is the community that it brings. Those who are willing to make the trek to the festival every year are eager to enjoy and celebrate the artist’s and fellow music lovers that they meet, and most importantly, the town of Rouyn-Noranda welcomes the festival with open arms each summer.
Thank you to festival for bringing me along, to the people of Rouyn-Noranda for their hospitality, to Danny Payne, and to Ming Wu for providing some snapshots from the weekend.
