Montreal was experiencing a heatwave this Wednesday, a big one. The kind of heatwave where people are advised to stay inside, shut the drapes and drink water. But something else prevailed that night as the temperature climbed to 40 degrees: Thundercat was doing a free show for Montreal Jazz Fest, and the city's groove seekers weren't ready to let that one slip through their fingers.
Thinking back to the days when Thundercat was a well-kept secret in the music industry, an experimental virtuoso unlikely to breakthrough beyond the underground Brainfeeder scene, it boggles the mind to see just how many people had come to see the now-legendary artist who has collaborated with everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Mac Miller. The crowd was pushing, shoulder to shoulder, filling the gigantic Place des Festivals and spilling over to L'Esplanade, where the show was being projected for another packed crowd with — let's be frank — much better sound quality.
Armed with his trademark Ibanez Custom Shop six-string bass, Stephen Lee Bruner walked to the mic and greeted the crowd with an enthusiastic "Yo!" before launching in a few fan favourites that were barely audible over the noise of the animated audience, giving the show the feel of a happening rather than a jazz recital.
As it is to be expected, most songs were a jumping off point to a long psychedelic jam, giving Thundercat a chance to display his undeniable talents as a bassist, assisted by the equally spirited Dennis Hamm on keys and Justin Brown on drums, the latter sporting a motorcycle helmet and disco ball hybrid.
About 30 minutes in, Thundercat started addressing the crowd in a series of absurd interactions and comedic non-sequiturs that fans have come to expect from the overactive mind of the entertainer. Glazing over topics such as anime, UFC, tattoos and the Waffle House restaurant franchise, Bruner's charm was on full display, and an integral part of the show.
Joined on stage by Louis Cole, Bruner relayed the story of how the two first got acquainted during an impromptu gig, which led to a rendition of the aptly titled "I Love Louis Cole," taken from 2020's It Is What It Is, which was expanded with an upbeat instrumental jam. The rest of the evening included tracks such as "Friend Zone" and "Funny Thing," sustaining the same balance of enthusiastic musicianship and restless energy throughout the performance. The show ended on a high note with "Them Changes," which was dedicated to one of Thundercat's favorite musicians, Montreal's own Gino Vannelli.
After a prolonged absence from the stage, the band returned for one final number. Speaking with visible emotion about his friend Austin Peralta, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 22, Thundercat launched into a dark and intense rendition of "Lotus and the Jondy," taken from his 2013 album Apocalypse. Once the song was over, Stephen Lee Bruner unplugged his bass and walked the stage without saying a word, suggesting there's perhaps an ocean of emotions underneath that debonaire façade.
Thinking back to the days when Thundercat was a well-kept secret in the music industry, an experimental virtuoso unlikely to breakthrough beyond the underground Brainfeeder scene, it boggles the mind to see just how many people had come to see the now-legendary artist who has collaborated with everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Mac Miller. The crowd was pushing, shoulder to shoulder, filling the gigantic Place des Festivals and spilling over to L'Esplanade, where the show was being projected for another packed crowd with — let's be frank — much better sound quality.
Armed with his trademark Ibanez Custom Shop six-string bass, Stephen Lee Bruner walked to the mic and greeted the crowd with an enthusiastic "Yo!" before launching in a few fan favourites that were barely audible over the noise of the animated audience, giving the show the feel of a happening rather than a jazz recital.
As it is to be expected, most songs were a jumping off point to a long psychedelic jam, giving Thundercat a chance to display his undeniable talents as a bassist, assisted by the equally spirited Dennis Hamm on keys and Justin Brown on drums, the latter sporting a motorcycle helmet and disco ball hybrid.
About 30 minutes in, Thundercat started addressing the crowd in a series of absurd interactions and comedic non-sequiturs that fans have come to expect from the overactive mind of the entertainer. Glazing over topics such as anime, UFC, tattoos and the Waffle House restaurant franchise, Bruner's charm was on full display, and an integral part of the show.
Joined on stage by Louis Cole, Bruner relayed the story of how the two first got acquainted during an impromptu gig, which led to a rendition of the aptly titled "I Love Louis Cole," taken from 2020's It Is What It Is, which was expanded with an upbeat instrumental jam. The rest of the evening included tracks such as "Friend Zone" and "Funny Thing," sustaining the same balance of enthusiastic musicianship and restless energy throughout the performance. The show ended on a high note with "Them Changes," which was dedicated to one of Thundercat's favorite musicians, Montreal's own Gino Vannelli.
After a prolonged absence from the stage, the band returned for one final number. Speaking with visible emotion about his friend Austin Peralta, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 22, Thundercat launched into a dark and intense rendition of "Lotus and the Jondy," taken from his 2013 album Apocalypse. Once the song was over, Stephen Lee Bruner unplugged his bass and walked the stage without saying a word, suggesting there's perhaps an ocean of emotions underneath that debonaire façade.
