Montreal MRCY Fest 15 Highlights: Local Natives

Emerging from the crowded underground of metro Montmorency, I followed the sound of A$AP Ferg's Shabba and was drawn into a crowd of close to ten thousand people. Careful to not underestimate the length of my camera lens and take out half a dozen people (I did enough of this during my attendance at the Ottawa Folk Festival), I made my way to one of the two stages erected on opposite sides of Espace Montmorency. Host to the second annual MRCY Festival, the grounds were veiled with tea lights, underneath which attendees congregated around interactive art displays and local food trucks between sets. The one-day festival kicked off in the early afternoon of Saturday, September 26, with headliners Local Natives, Mac Miller, and Alabama Shakes taking to the stage later in the evening. Laval art center Vertical was commissioned for the visual art displays, and provided a beautiful array of light shows and decor throughout the day, which showcased work by installation artists Phil Allard and Dean Baldwin, as well as the much talked about street artist Roadsworth. At 8pm, eager fans pushed themselves against the guardrails as Local Natives took to the stage to perform their last show before heading into the studio to record their upcoming third album. Fittingly, the Los Angeles indie-folk band began their set with "You & I," a standout track off of their album Hummingbird, the majority of which was recorded in Montreal. By the time they had finished their eight track set, which included a never performed before track as well as a cover of Talking Head’s Warning Sign, the crowd had to collectively pick their jaws up off the floor in order to voice their awe and adoration for the five-piece ensemble. A perfect close to the summer season, MRCY Festival catered to the eyes, ears, and stomach. As attendance more than doubled since it's debut in 2014, here's to the recognition of Canada, and Quebec specifically, as being home to much more than one festival fairy tale.