Misteur Valaire

The M for Montreal showcase on the El Mocambo's main floor was the site of one of the festival's most theatrical spectacles, as quirky beat constructors Misteur Valaire managed to transform the cavernous, three-quarters-empty venue into an all-out dance party within moments of stepping on stage. Drawing on a bursting sonic amalgam of bass, drums, horns, synths, samples and various types of hand percussion, the rowdy five-man crew matched a serious selection of varied electro-leaning grooves with ample amounts of over-the-top cartoonish fun. Sexy poses, cocky solos and choreographed dance numbers broke up a raucous sound attack that slipped seamlessly from old-school hip-hop breaks and rhymes, to spacey, Doctor Who-styled tones and block-rockin' synth-funk. An already crazy set reach even further into the unexpected at its climax, with the crafty tag team breaking mid-song for an impromptu hugfest with surprised audience members to the sounds of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" before returning to the stage and continuing on as though nothing had happened. Closing up shop with a final, sax- and trumpet-led flurry, Misteur Valaire were equal parts flash and substance, successfully passing along to those in the room just a bit of why they're such a sensation in their home province.