Original text: Émilie Gagné
Translation: Priscilla Then
Photos: Larry Dufresne et Alexandre Bédard

It was a big moment for the performers of Misteur Valaire on June 28^th when the 5 Sherbrookers were the main headlines of the grand event, the Montreal Jazz Festival.

The sky threatened down upon us that evening. Thunder lurked overhead and feasted at the thought of drenching 100,000 people waiting in less than a square mile, but it nevertheless did not prevent the people from the most seasoned fan to the neophyte tourist, from gathering at the Place des Festivals.

Backstage,just minutes before the start of the show, nervousness and excitation abounded. The last interviews, the last retouches to costume/hair/make-up, moments of concentration and the last minor rehearsals took place.

Here we are. It’s now up to Misteur Valaire and its guests to set the stage on fire and chase away the rain.

9:32pm: Laurent Saulnier, Vice-President of programming for the Jazz Festival, announces the arrival of the group to the stage. The crowd gathers tighter, cries of joy elevate in the electrically charged air. The show starts in full throttle to the song Gumshoe and the participation of Béni bbq. (There is also a brand new video clip for this song, which can be seen here.)

From that first song : only memorable moments to come; that evening had the entire crew of Misteur Valaire come to lend a hand, including James Di Salvio and Liquid from Bran Van 3000 on Ave Mucho.

Fanny Bloom on November number 3

Gigi French on Mojo Ego, Senja Sargeant on Mama Donte

Not to mention the six sexy dancers and the brass section that rounded off the show’s visual and auditory richness during the entire show, as well as the presence of a troupe of Bulgarian dancers in the song Et si c’était un veau !!!

However, an intense downpour attempted to ruin the evening. A few minutes into the start of the show, during the song Plocul Black, the sound of rain and thunder attempted to rival that of the stage ― and the crowd, completely exposed, endured the torrent. Nonetheless, the crowd did not move, remaining loyal to the artists and was later well-rewarded as the downpour only lasted a short while (it simply served as quick refreshment in the end).

In any case, when you are watching such a show complete with pyrotechnics and lasers (!!!), you quickly forget having wet feet.

After 90 minutes of concert and a lively request for an encore by the crowd, Misteur Valaire left the stage in full glory. Backstage, it was jubilation: the feeling of “mission accomplished” could be read on everyone’s faces, with everybody celebrating and congratulating one another  ― it was pure joy. Brigitte Poupart, in charge of staging the event, was even given a victory shower by the coach, as in a real football game.

This magnificent event was a true success thanks to the team of Spectra for the Jazz Festival, to the management and technical team of MV, to the magic of Brigitte Poupart, to Nathalie Bourget of Rubis Varia, to all the musicians and dancers who supported the group and especially… above all, to the unmatched talent of Misteur Valaire.

Did you want to attend the concert, but couldn’t? Or perhaps it was the threat of the rain that held you back? (If so, oh what a blunder!) Whatever the reason, unconditional fan of Misteur Valaire, be comforted in knowing that a documentary of this grandiose event will soon be available, and you’ll be able to pretend that you were there (and even find out everything that happened backstage…).

Our first tour break. Hell Yeah