FEQ: Lana Del Rey Makes Her Movies – Radio-Canada.ca

She makes it a habit! After Glastonbury, Lana Del Rey let her admirers languish for a good twenty minutes on Saturday on the Plains of Abraham. One of the most anticipated artists of this 55th summer festival, the American singer, who was granted special permission to bypass the 11pm curfew, nevertheless managed to put on an uncompromising performance.

Lana Del Rey is rarely on stage. So rare that it had been four years since she had set foot in Canada. And the last time was in Vancouver. His last stay in Quebec was in Montreal in 2015.

Her visit to the capital, the only one in the country this year, was therefore enough to rouse fans of the 38-year-old American and her melancholic pop inspired by the 50s and 60s. And many of them gathered in The Plains! Even some had camped out on site to secure the best spots in front of the stage!

I can’t believe how many people are here tonight! And you? Is this normal for you? This has got to be the biggest show we’ve done in a year, if ever!

Though the singer-songwriter’s performance ended in triumph, it wasn’t without its problems. Of course, there was this delay early in the show, but it was quickly forgotten when the singer’s voice began to ring out on the Plains while the stage was still dark.

tragic heroine

Then she appeared backlit, surrounded by her dancers, her four musicians and her singers, against a background of rich blue, red and yellow light. Then she found herself in the light, sporting a tragic heroine in a white lace dress with a shiny headband in her hair.

From this introduction she got to the interpretation of A&W thanks to a sophisticated use of light. Very quickly we realized that something was wrong with the sound. Too much bass, distortion, her caressing voice is lost in the sound mix. Unfortunately, the situation continued with the piece Young and Beautiful, one of the favorites from Lana Del Rey’s repertoire, which the audience immediately started with her.

A die-hard audience began with the lyrics to

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A die-hard audience began with the lyrics to “Young and Beautiful”.

Photo: Radio Canada / Erik Chouinard

As the show progressed, the sound quality improved a bit, but never quite returned to normal. The singer also seemed bothered by the audio from her monitors, which distorted several times.

However, that didn’t stop her from putting her heart and soul into this theatrical aspect of the show. We’ve seen her sit down and get her hair done, we’ve seen her lie on her back, sing, we’ve seen her sit on a swing, on a piano. We even saw her do a tour and come back with injured knees. It’s not clear if she fell after the metal fences or scraped her knees…

It was all part of a well-crafted script. Lana Del Rey still came out a few times to address the crowd. During one of these interventions, she would recall driving across the river from the Adirondacks at 3:30 a.m., or even thank her fans for helping to make her dream come true as a little girl.

Although we didn't have to close the site, the Plains of Abraham were packed for Lana Del Rey's visit.

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Although we didn’t have to close the site, the Plains of Abraham were packed for Lana Del Rey’s visit.

Photo: Radio Canada / Erik Chouinard

However, it was she who donated the most on Saturday, in front of a crowd that included many young girls with daisies or heart-shaped glasses in their hair. She offered these fans the biggest tracks from her ten-album repertoire, Born to Die, Blue Jeans, Summertime Sadness and Video Games, as well as newer songs like the poignant Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd,” a great lament with a piano voice.

At the time of the curfew at 11 p.m. there were only four songs left on the program, which she was able to finish without hesitation. As with any good film, the show ended with FIN – in French – centered on the screen in the background as the score slowly faded away.

The War on Drugs

The war on drugs left lasting memories when he visited Parc de la Francophonie in 2018. Back on the Plains of Abraham stage, this time Adam Granduciel’s band picked up where they left off with their Americana, backed by guitars and atmospheric keyboards that sometimes flirted with the psychedelic.

The War on Drugs singer and guitarist Adam Granduciel

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The War on Drugs singer and guitarist Adam Granduciel

Photo: Radio Canada / Erik Chouinard

The Philadelphia team, often compared to Wilco, opened the program with “In Chains” and quickly set the tone for an exciting performance.

You are beautiful tonight! Thank you for being here! It’s an honor to open for the amazing Lana Del Rey! said Granduciel, who wore sunglasses and a purple t-shirt, at the introduction.

With the energetic “Pain and Red Eyes,” “The War on Drugs” quickly broke the tempo with “I Don’t Wanna Wait,” an enveloping ballad that highlights the leader’s slightly nasal vocals, accompanied by rich vocal harmonies and a saxophone invite baritone.

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The psychedelic scenography of The War on Drugs

Photo: Radio Canada / Erik Chouinard

With a short program of nine songs, we suspected that the group, known for their improvisations, would hit the bull’s eye on an instrumental level. And he did it with obvious joy.

Stretching the tracks from both ends – with extended intros and rousing jams – particularly on Strangest Thing and Harmonia’s Dream, The War on Drugs delivered a performance music lovers are sure to appreciate.

Festival-goers also underlined the performance of these experienced musicians by turning on the lights on their mobile phones during the final part of the program, “In Reverse”.

Festival-goers highlighted the performance of these skilled musicians by turning on the lights on their cell phones.

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Festival-goers highlighted the performance of these skilled musicians by turning on the lights on their cell phones.

Photo: Radio Canada / Erik Chouinard

Alan Rayman

Solid first favorite for Torontonian Allan Rayman, whose eclectic musical proposal captivated Lana Del Rey’s audience.

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Allan Rayman from Toronto gave a captivating performance.

Photo: Radio Canada / Erik Chouinard

With his mixture of rap, folk, R&B and soul, the songwriter cannot be pigeonholed. He impresses with the breadth of his vocal range, which easily ranges from soul singing in a languid, slow jam to desperate rap with a folk-rock frame.

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Allan Rayman’s soulful voice

Photo: Radio Canada / Erik Chouinard

What unites his compositions is the warmth of his musical arrangements. Delivered by expert musicians mixing classic rock instruments with elements of piano and acoustic guitars.

A proposition delivered with intensity by the singer, dressed in jeans and a black belly t-shirt, contorting at the microphone, especially in the very sexy 25.22, supported by an insistent electric guitar. A talent to behold!

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Allan Rayman’s compositions unite in the warmth of their arrangements.

Photo: Radio Canada / Erik Chouinard