Osheaga Day 1
Friday July 29 - Vendredi 29 Juillet

While the festival did technically kick off in the rain, there was only brightness and positivity coming from those in attendance. The first acts took the stage on Day 1 at 4 p.m., and set in motion a giant machine fueled by energy, excitement and good music.

Like any day of fun spent in an exciting city, there's simply too much to cover at Osheaga to see it all. However, I was able to see a lot - from internationally established headlining acts to up-and-coming acts from locales across the country and beyond - and I'm happy to report that fans from far and wide were treated to a brilliant day of music.



Sweet Thing
Tree Stage, 4—4:30 p.m.

No strangers to London or to Fanshawe, Sweet Thing helped to kick the festival off with a brilliant set on the Tree Stage. While commonly touted as infectious rock pop, there's something much more legitimate about them and the brilliant music they make - and while they may invoke feelings of nostalgia for pop music of the 1980s, they pack a lot of depth and texture into their music, a shame they had only a half hour to perform.



Lights
Green Stage, 4:20—5:05 p.m.

With her performance at Osheaga, it's easy to see why Lights has become such a popular act in music today. Her performance in Montréal was one of a handful in the summer in anticipation of the release of her new record, which was finished within the last month.

Lights' shimmering electropop brought some warmth and sunshine and was instrumental in kicking off the dancing at Parc Jean—Drapeau. Her newer singles like "My Boots" and "Everybody Breaks A Glass" fit very well with her current repertoire as well, so it was good to catch her on a smaller festival stage before she becomes even bigger than she already is.



Uncle Bad Touch
Tree Stage, 5—5:30 p.m.
A delight; though I saw this band for the first time, I'm excited about the feral garage flavour in their music. Osheaga marked their first performance with their new tambourine player Julia, but the addition seems like it will be a good fit.

As a band, they're very tight and have a real warmth about them - as seen when each song would finish and bassist/singer Kathryn would beam and applaud with the audience - and their charm only works to strengthen their rock image, rather than impair it. Also, their song "Uncle Bad Touch" is a great punk song!



Broken Social Scene
Mountain Stage, 6:10—7:05 p.m.

Given their history as a band and their place in the Canadian indie circle, Broken Social Scene were likely the biggest Canadian act to play the first day of the festival. How breathtaking to see them all present, to experience each note faithfully duplicated on horns and keyboards in addition to traditional rock instrumentalia.

While the band are still touring their 2010 album Forgiveness Rock Record - and performed recent hit singles like "Forced To Love" and "Texico Bitches" - it hardly seems as though they need to worry about exposure; considered more a collective than a formal band, each member of Broken Social Scene is a musical icon in their own right. That sense of freedom and abandon made it all the sweeter to see them perform, and that much better to see guest musicians like Stars' Amy Millan join them on stage.



Bran Van 3000
River Stage, 7:05—8:05 p.m.

It's difficult to think of as many artists as diverse and with a history like Bran Van 3000. In the fifteen years since they were drinking in LA, their albums have run the gamut of pop, hip hop, dance and more. Thankfully, their live set is every bit as diverse and compelling as their records, making them a no-brainer to move up to the timeslot that Kid Cudi left open by taking ill.


Photo credit: Pat Beaudry

Janelle Monáe
Mountain Stage, 8:05—9:05 p.m.

If there was a more energetic, entertaining performance at Osheaga, I did not see it. All similarly dressed, Monáe and her band burst off of the stage and gave the kind of performance that would've made James Brown leap with joy.
Her performance was as captivating and diverse as is her album The ArchAndroid, and when she launched into her effervescent hit "Tightrope", the audience erupted. Not every day does a song successfully launch a dance - or a movement like the one that is Monáe and her art - but this one does, and manages to rock while it rolls.



Eminem
River Stage, 9:20—10:50 p.m.

Rumour has it that the crowd - which is supposed to max out at 25,000 attendees - swelled to around 38,000 people while Eminem was on stage on Day 1, and if the density of the crowd is any real indication, it may be true.

Without any room to move, it was difficult to stay in the crowd close to the stage. Luckily, the crowd extended far backward across the entirety of the open space in front of it and up the hill.

Eminem was a powerhouse. His entire set - selections from his award-winning Recovery album as well as a long list of hits and charting single - was a high-energy affair including elaborate visuals and a fervent reception from the audience, causing Eminem himself to remark that he would have asked the crowd to 'make some noise', except that they were doing well enough on their own.

More stories and photos are coming; Interrobang's coverage of Osheaga 2011 continues with Days 2 & 3 of the festival, July 30—31. Many more photos have been uploaded to our own FSU social network, check them out.