It’s been months since I first heard about the mysterious Clues, founded by Alden Penner of the genius Unicorns, and Brendan Reed, an ex Arcade Fire member. I was immediately smitten by the first track released, Perfect Fit, and a few months later, the album blew me. Then I found that Pop Montreal festival was starting jsut a few days after I arrived in my new adoptive country, that Clues would be playing it, and that Vincent Moon and his camera would also be there.
A few days before fiming them, I finally had the chance of seeing Clues live, at Cabaret Juste Pour Rire. You can feel it when on stage, it’s the infant prodigies of a whole city who are playing. The venue shakes, it gives you shivers and a broad smile, you just turn around and see people radiant with joy, yelling, calling the musicians by their name, dancing, singing, clapping and cheering. I forgot how many encores, i forgot how long they played, I was on cloud nine the whole night.
Three or four days later, we met Alden, Ben and Nick (unfortunately, Brendan was sick) at Café Olimpico, and then they’d take us to the spot they picked. Before the festival, we asked the bands to choose where we would film their Take Away Show ; for once, we wouldn’t be the one deciding. Alden had found a crazy location, a bus graveyard. Dusk made it even eerier, with burnt down wrecks everywhere and yellow « DO NOT CROSS » tape forbidding the access to an orange-neon lit shack.
The atmosphere, the place, their music ; everything felt so cinematic, a little oppressive, and beautiful, beautiful like a moaning violin, a startling bass drum, a guitar that never lets you rest, and voice insinuating itself into your memories.
Nora
myspace.com/cclluueess
blogotheque.net/Views-of-Montreal,5146