Les Francos, Montreal QC
Pre-opening Night: June 8th, 2023
with -M-
Les Francos De Montréal are kicking off their 34th edition today, but we got a sneak peek last night with French singer -M- (aka Matthieu Chedid) as the pre-opening night to 10 days of festivities!
The reunion with -M- and his gang was long-awaited, as we hadn’t seen him in town since a glorious outdoor shows at the 2014 Francos! So needless to say, it didn’t take long for last night to sold-out, and we weren’t surprised either to see Place Wilfrid-Pelletier packed when we got there!
After an opening set by Marilyne Léonard, -M- took to the stage shortly after 9pm, to the dreamy intro of song Home. He then followed with Rêvalité (from his album of the same name released a year ago), before jumping into the hits like Qui de Nous Deux, Onde Sensuelle and La Seine.
-M- is a wonderful performer, and not just because of the signature hair and light-up guitar. He plays the six-string like no other, embarking in furious solos, and has the crowd in the palm of his hand when he sings. Complete with a beautiful stage setup and lights, the show is a real treat that jumps from intimate folk pieces to disco funk bangers. Highlights include the covers of David Bowie’s Life On Mars? and Joe Dassin’s A Toi, and the firework finale with major hits Machistador, Mojo, and Je Dis Aime. Matthieu also brought on surprise guest Ariane Moffatt to sing La Bonne Étoile together, to the delight of the crowd!
If last night was any indication, the 34th edition of Les Francos is off to a terrific start! Stay tuned as we cover more shows at the festivals, and if you want to check out -M- for yourself, there are still tickets available here for tonight’s show!
-M-
To see more photos of Les Francos, check out our Facebook album!
The 34th edition of Les Francos is taking place in Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles from June 9-17th, 2023. For the full lineup, tickets, and information on the free shows, visit the festival’s website! To keep track of all the shows, learn more about the artists and build your own schedule, you should also download the Les Francos mobile app, available on Apple and Android.