FME 2023: Elisapie, Fouki, Jonathan Bree, Karkwa, Imposs, Les Louanges, Milk & Bone, Philippe Brach, Tess Parks, The Psychotic Monks & much more!
Festival de Musique Émergentes en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (FME) and SiriusXM, its official presenter, invite you to the 21st edition of the unique event showcasing the best in new music, big names from Canada as well as an inspired international programme, including a plethora of exclusivities for this 2023 season. From August 31st to September 3rd, FME strikes again with an eclectic selection of artists offering alternative, novel, and singular music, also presenting many up-and-coming outfits of all genres. In all, close to 100 performances are taking place in premium concert venues and other unique locations of Rouyn-Noranda.
“Sirius XM is proud to present Festival de Musique Émergente en Abitibi-Témiscamingue as the title sponsor, something we have done for over ten years,” said Jean-Philippe Lavoie, Manager, CCD & Industry Relations, SiriusXM Canada. “Since the very beginning, an important mission of ours has been to showcase Francophone music on-air across North America, all the while supporting live events such as FME, which provides the ultimate platform for this.”
From bluegrass to psychedelic pop, while also indulging in rap, electronic music, and neo-R&B; FME’s outdoor stages offer a wide range of styles…
On Thursday at 7 pm, the Événements Sirius XM concert series kicks off with rising star Thierry Larose, who provides the very first notes for FME 2023. He will be accompanied on the festival’s Main Stage – back to its original location North of Murdoch Avenue on 7e Rue – by an all-star band that features Lou-Adriane Cassidy as well as Alexandre Martel (Anatole).
The Mauskovic Dance Band (Amsterdam, NL) follows at 8 pm with their polyrhythmic strand of space disco informed by the Soundsystem movement and suitable both for dancing and embracing chaos. At 9 pm, we are treated to Bon Enfant’s timeless and transcendental francophone rock music. Closing out the night with a bang, Québec Redneck Bluegrass Project’s festive anthems, the quartet celebrating their roots through folk, traditional music, bluegrass, and punk.
Friday’s bill flashes a diametrically different type of verve, with Québec phenom rapper Fouki headlining. He promises to deliver a set that’s “Lit AF,” including tracks from his recent long-player, Zayon. Opening, we have not one but two ex-Dead Obies, as rap battle ace Greg Beaudin a.k.a. Snail Kid, and his homie 20some – strong from releasing Home Run, his debut album produced by Ajust – dish out their franglais rhymes back-to-back on 7e Rue.
Still on the Main Stage, taking turns on Saturday from 8 pm: New-Zealand-based postmodern crooner, Jonathan Bree, flanked by spandex-skinned, 60s apparel-wearing musicians and dancers; celebrated Canadian electro-pop duo, Milk & Bone; as well as prodigal singer-songwriter Vincent Roberge’s Les Louanges, a modern alternative pop-coated panorama of R&B, jazz and soul.
As a bonus, following Événement Sirius XM, the curators offer at 11:30 pm, one last concert under the moonlight. Thus, Espace Lounge – also located on 7e Rue – will host from Thursday to Saturday: Margaret Tracteur (bluegrass/punk), Modlee (rap/hip-hop), and Blesse (indie rock).
Festivities for the Guinguette Chez Edmund stage begin on Saturday at 1 pm with a family-friendly trifecta. The saturnal musical matinee hosts synthetic pop duo À trois sur la plage (Paris, FR), Dieppe, NB singer-songwriter Caroline Savoie, as well as baroque folk artist Vanille. The scenic stage overseeing Osisko Lake will also be the site of this year’s closing ceremonies, opening with psychedelic pop maestros Hippie Hourrah on Sunday at 8 pm, to be followed by Lumière’s ambitious rock amalgamation and the unpredictable-yet-always-on-point Philippe Brach.
Compelling songwriting, novel grooves, and booming decibels take over the airwaves at Paramount, l’Agora des Arts, and Petit Théâtre du Vieux-Noranda…
On Friday Paramount hosts a transatlantic bill for the ages with co-headliners Elisapie and Flavien Berger (Paris, FR). The latter hits the stage at 8:30 pm, providing intriguing electro-pop songs doused in shimmering arrangements, while the Inuk singer-songwriter and activist is on at 10 pm, she who recently unveiled covers from Blondie, Cyndi Lauper and Metallica (!!) sung in her native tongue, to be found on her forthcoming LP. Saturday marks the epic return of now-legendary Québec rockers, Karkwa, who recently announced a first album in over 13 years, scheduled in the Fall, also sharing a first single, “Parfaite à l’écran”. Opening, we have 60s-infused lo-fi rock artist and longtime collaborator of Anton Newcombe from The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Tess Parks (Toronto, ON).
Dream pop artist N Nao (Long-listed for the Polaris Prize in Music 2023), performs Thursday at 8 pm, kicking off the Concerts Vidéotron series to be held at l’Agora des Arts. Come 9 pm, it is up to imaginative singer-songwriter Laurence-Anne to preview Oniromancie, her upcoming album. On Saturday, the series welcomes folk-with-a-punk-energy Innu artist Kanen (2022-23 CBC Revelation), while on Saturday, prolific chansonnier and Rouyn-Noranda native, Philippe B, amazes us all yet again with his delicate songs ranging from folk to chamber pop.
“Québecor has always recognized the immense talent of Québécois singer-songwriters, music composers and musicians, working to connect them with music lovers throughout the province of Québec. For more than 15 years, and with great pride, Québécor and Vidéotron have been supporting FME, as part of our efforts to celebrate music, a great pillar of our culture, as we strive to make it available to all,” stated Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and Chief Executive Operator at Québécor.
For its portion of the programming, Scène Hydro-Québec – located at Petit Théâtre du Vieux-Noranda – will host a late-night concert series, starting by presenting on Thursday, the ex-Muzion Imposs. The “OG” boom bap rapper – who just recently released Eastside Story, a short documentary accompanied by a live session – is on at midnight, though you will not want to miss swaggy Myst Milano, whose hypnotic spits were perfected opening for planetary artists such as Lizzo, Thundercat, Ashanti, and Ja Rule, amongst others. Their set starts at 11 pm sharp.
A “Synthetic Punk Extravaganza” would be one way to describe Friday night at Petit Théâtre, as we get to see two monuments of Québec’s underground music scene, starting at 11 pm with Alex Ortiz (singer and multi-instrumentalist from We Are Wolves) who debuts his solo project, Rip Pop Mutant, in Rouyn-Noranda. Come midnight, pluridisciplinary artist Annie-Claude Deschênes, known for her rambunctious stage presence while with Duchess Says and PyPy, serves us a new interactive concert that combines electronic music, “table etiquette” and live visuals.
In collaboration with Mutek, Saturday’s program starts at 11 pm with Denmark-based Tunisian artist Ammar 808’s Super Stambeli, a novel work that dives deep into stambeli (a musico-therapeutic possession ritual from his native land) using electronic processing and uncanny musical flair. He is followed at midnight by The Mugzy & Maam Show, a highly energetic spectacle meshing techno and house music, but with a Fermi Paradox-solving twist: the DJs are super stylish puppets straight from the greenroom of an illegal rave in some galaxy yet-to-be observed.
On Sunday as part of the traditional Soirée Métal, FME, and guest curator Productions Ça Bûche offer a decapitating night of heavy riffage, headlined by Mononc’ Serge and Anonymus, who celebrate the 20 year anniversary of Québec metal masterpiece, l’Académie du massacre. Legendary hardcore crust punks B.A.R.F. will also be joining the dominican calamitous disturbance, along with local hardcore metal outfit Guhn Twei, the latter tasked with drawing first blood at Petit Théâtre.
Nocturnal programming with an emphasis on discovery, fieriness, and dancing…
When the clock strikes twelve, be ready for the incisive new wave numbers of La Sécurité (members of Choses Sauvages, Laurence-Anne, Jesuslesfilles), the dizzying, jazzy, and poetic psychedelia of Population II, the mathematically-sound musical charades of Yocto (I.D.A.L.G. and Émmanuel Éthier from Chocolat), and the fuzzy and booming rock tunes of Alias. What’s more, get a dose of irreverent art punk from Saint Martyrs, catch Pressure Pin’s manic and angular power pop, or be mesmerized by VioleTT Pi’s latest off-kilter anthems. Also providing astute alternative waves ranging from garage rock all the way to post-punk, feed upon DVTR (members of Le Couleur and Gazoline), Les Lunatiques (featuring Ariane Roy) and SamWoy (members of Teke::Teke and Pat Watson).
Amongst the European artists who will be burning the midnight oil, we can count on the blazing French noise rock ensemble, The Psychotic Monks, to bestow upon us their “psychedelic storm” (Le Monde). Straight from Brussels (BE), Rodolphe Coster paints shoegaze graffiti, accompanied by Sarah Register (Lou Reed, Depeche Mode, Protomartyr), Atsuko Hatano (Jim O’rourke), Maya Postepski (The Organ) and Jeff Tobias (Sunwatchers). Also, Brusselites visiting Rouyn-Noranda, Milk TV dispense their post-punk and no-wave-tinged experimental pop, while Tukan engages with electronic music and jazz on their way to nu-disco.
There will be plenty of atopic flows as well: ADISQ-nominated (Artiste autochtone de l’année) Mi’kmaq rapper Q052; swagalicious Montréal duo Dope.gng, who are releasing the followup to Drogue Maison Deluxe this Fall; enigmatic punk hip-hop artist Jodie Jodie Roger and their two alter-egos, Solomon Grundy and Rudi Sainte-Cloud; as well as polarizing experimental rap outfit, TruckViolence (Montréal, QC by way of rural Alberta).
Early shows where to dance and happy hour sessions where to chill…
For early discotheque vibes, one can not miss the 70s-inspired francophone songs from groovy septet Comment Debord, the disco-rock via New-Brunswick of Baie, whose album was co-produced by Mico Roy (Les Hôtesses d’Hilaire) and Katrine Noël (Les Hay Babies) or the rap and pop alloy of Fraud Perry. We can also be awed by krautrock supergroup Patche (members of Mon Doux Saigneur, Alex Burger, Zouz), be shellacked by Knitting’s corrosive yet perfectly melodic alternative rock, or be taken down a rabbit hole by Heaven for Real, whose musicality is equally frenetic and cryptic.
For dreamy early evening vibes, FME suggests singer-songwriter Cedric Noel’s soulful indie pop, misty songs from Désirée’s latest album, Les souvenirs flous (produced by Antoine Corriveau), the carefully-arranged maximalist pieces from keyboardist and composer Mélissa Fortin (Canailles, Bon Enfant), or Magella’s angelic voice and slightly syncopated, scintillating brand of art pop. For those who fancy sipping on a beverage to the tune of vintage music, we offer concerts by country (or is it rather farm emo) ensemble Nora Kelly Band, by folk artist with a penchant for classical counterpoints and minimal voicing, Arielle Soucy, as well as by Night Lunch, whose early R&B melodies are carefully transformed through their new wave approach.
Hub Desjardins
Every edition sees FME establish a central location where artists and festival goers alike can gather: Hub Desjardins. This year, with support from Desjardins, the Hub will host CFME Radio Station, Jardin XR (XR Garden), ticketing, as well as immersive activities through extended reality technology.
Festival passes and single-ticket sales
This year, we offer two types of festival passes: the Passeport extérieur – 7e Rue (Outdoor Festival Pass – 7e Rue) for $55, which grants access to all outdoor concerts taking place on 7e Rue from Thursday to Saturday; as well as the Passeport à la carte (À la carte Festival Pass) for $150, which grants you access to a selection of venue concerts to go along with the outdoor concerts.
Festival passes go on sale today (Tuesday, July 18th, 2023) at 4 pm ET via www.fmeat.org. Passe à la carte (À la Carte Festival Pass) holders will have until Friday, July 21st, 2023 at 11:59 pm ET to choose the venue concerts they want to attend. Individual concert tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 25th, 2023 at noon ET.
Follow the festival on Facebook and Instagram and download the FME app for future announcements!