Misteur Valaire

Despite gaining some notoriety with their Bran Van 3000 collab "Ave Mucho" last year, Montreal's Misteur Valaire had their work cut out for them on their first visit to Toronto. Playing to a large crowd largely unfamiliar with their tunes, the five-man crew pulled out all stops to win over the crowd. Decked out in gold-trimmed white suits, the guys came off like the bastard brood of Serge Gainsbourg and the Beastie Boys while they pounded away on a variety of synths, samplers, drum machines and bass guitars. Their infectious energy that found them running all over the stage, constantly mugging for the crowd and even pulling out an old-timey vaudeville routine to cap off the set more than made up for the sameness of a lot of their tunes. The group were most effective when members abandoned their instruments to take the mic, allowing them to further engage with the crowd. By the end, they had the house eating out of the palms of their hands.