A little after 1pm on Friday, August 1st, the crowd was ready, security was set, and Osheaga’s 18th music festival kicked off. With excited festival goers starting to run towards the entrances, security made sure to remind everyone that there was no need to run and that there were multiple entry points to the festival.
With 29 artists playing across 6 stages, I wasn’t able to see every amazing artist – but across the sets I did catch the music was energetic, audiences were hyped, and the sun blazed down on a hot first day of the multi-genre festival.
First up was Begonia – coming out with a brilliant outfit made from what looked like spring flowers, her set was a perfect appetizer for the festival. Her set was bright and upbeat with a strong vocal range and moving lyrics. One of her songs, an airy pop number focused on being a closeted bisexual girl in Winnipeg and how she came to accept herself.
Begonia wasn’t the only person with an outfit all ready to go – as no matter what artist they were here for, festival goers wore decked-out outfits. Whether it be raver chic, cowboy-carter-inspired pop, or all things sparkles (my personal favorite), audience members knew what they were doing when they showed up. As it hit 79 and with limited shade artist kept telling the audience to make sure to hydrate, and clothes came off from both the audience and key artists, including Domic Fike.
While Begonia played airy-pop, TALLANDSKINNY blasted remixes and crowd favorites from her DJ booth at the Coca-Cola stage. Dishing up remixes of popular and obscure pop and rap from the past decade, she kept the crowd engaged and dancing.
Back on the other side of the festival grounds, Hometown group, Group Project lit up the Coors Light Mountain Stage with their mix of indie rock and punk. Songs “ Juliet” and “Take Me Home” kept the crowd yelling for more. Their surf-rock-esque vibe was great for the middle of the afternoon as audiences were still streaming in.
Rock, followed rock as the Struts absolutely blew away the crowd at the Bell River stage – right next to where Group Project had just finished. This was one of the bands Patrick Guay from Osheaga encouraged me to see, and I wasn’t disappointed. Frontman Luke Spiller puts on a hell of a show. Jumping, kicking, and dancing like a young Mick Jagger, he channeled the spirit of rock into a massive performance across the Struts’ entire set.
Back across the festival grounds at the Belair Direct Stage Gen Z rappers Joey Valence & Brae performed a set straight out of TikTok. Look, I’m a millennial, I realize how ridiculous it sounds to say that, but the duo sounds like an early version of the Beastie Boys made for the internet age. The duo have strong lyrics but often use repetitive choruses and hooks that work for a 15-second video but get a little old in a full 4-minute song. With that said, their stage presence was impressive and the audience loved them, forming a mosh pit during one of their songs.
In the middle of the festival grounds, Shermanology mixed up a storm at the Coca-Cola stage. The unique character of Shermanology is the live singing on top of top quality DJing – which brings a humanistic quality to what could be a robotic art form. At one point the duo played a don’t forget to breathe remix, and honestly, that’s the feeling you get through their set. You want to dance and move constantly, their remixes so lively that you might forget to breathe.
Barry Can’t Swim, the DJ and Producer, was on next with a set that was as much a light show as a concert. The audience chanted “Barry, Barry” as a previous technical issue had delayed the set 15 minutes. Joshua Spence, along with a drummer and pianist, came out in almost total darkness – playing on shadows from dim stage lights to show their presence. Once the set got going the artist’s combination of musical influences, especially jazz, and edm, combined into a danceable head-banging mix. I should note that if you have any medical condition triggered by flashing or bright lights, don’t go to Barry can’t swim. The entire show is a fantastical array of flashes and floating lights.
Finally, closing out the night was Doechii. The rapper and singer blends Rap and pop together, along with experimental voices, noises, and sounds to create her own style. She’s been having a hell of a few years – winning a Grammy in 2024, and being named Billboard’s Woman of the Year, this year. This set was her first time in Canada, but I don’t think it’ll be her last, by the way the crowd reacted. A PACKED Scotia forrest stage, as in, I was barely able to get out of the photo pit, hosted Doechii’s set. Doechii didn’t stray away from political statements coming on stage while smoking a joint and then saying, “Free Palestine, you can’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe in, Free Palestine.” The rapper also specifically called out and supported the queer members of the audience.
Additionally, the rapper literally raised the bar and the stage. During her second song, the stage raised under her, bringing her up almost 20 feet in the air as she danced, sang, and jumped around. With her unmatched energy, unique blend of voices, musical styles, and boisterous stage performance, Doechii was able to bring the night to a massive close. Here’s to day 2!
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