Mile End Kicks

Last night I decided to spend my Friday at O Patro Vys to see Bone Patrol’s headlining set.

Following incredible sets by openers Discs Wings (debut set) and North Inspired, Bone Patrol stepped onto the stage. The crowd's chatter began to down while they linechecked, then came to a complete halt as the house lights dimmed. Four quick drum hits broke the silence before the room was flooded with Bone Patrol’s hazy indie-rock sound. Reminiscent of Pavement, their wavy, reverb-drenched guitars flowed seamlessly under Chevy’s intimate vocals, setting the tone for the band's overall essence. As the energy rose, Chevy leaped into the audience from the tightly squeezed stage and ran around the room for a moment before returning to his place in the center. They continued their performance with equal parts grace and humor between songs, maintaining their status as the most engaging up-and-comers in Montreal. Even with a few technical difficulties, which the band easily handled with their usual sarcastic wit, the 45-minute set was an overall success, concluded in screaming cheers from the room.

It was amazing to see Bone Patrol take on a smaller stage and prove that they can make any room feel like a stadium with their infectious, raw energy.

Since 2001, Late Night Tales has been exposing artists' influences and opening their audience to the inner workings of their minds (and their iTunes). Curated by MGMT’s own Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, the 25th edition works as a museum for the voices behind the indie-pop pioneers. 

You’re instantly thrown into 1996 with Disco Inferno's “Can’t See Through It” and brought through the decades for 19 more tracks. The time capsule is compiled of indie, post-punk, and all things counterculture, emphasized by MGMT’s cover of 1982’s “All We Ever Wanted Was Everything.” Staying true to Bauhaus' original vision, they do the song more than justice with its soft, lulling vocals and guitar.

The album wraps up in an exclusive spoken word by Paul Morley: “Lost For Words, Part 2.” As someone who has recently begun exploring the world of spoken word, I appreciate its inclusion on the album. Music and literature have always gone hand in hand, and Late Night Tales seems to know this fact well. Its use of alliteration and its stream-of-consciousness style kept my ears glued to the speakers for the entire three minutes and 23 seconds.

Other features, such as The Velvet Underground and Spacemen 3, cement the album as a dynamic sonic experience, giving us an authentic glance into the songs that inspired the indie masterminds we know and love today.