Spectacle!

Join us for a captivating evening of live musical performances featuring the exceptional talents of singer/songwriter Marlaena Moore and beloved local country troubadour Wood Andrews! Set within the cozy confines of Theatre VME, an intimate black box theatre nestled in the vibrant heart of Montreal's Mile End, 'Spectacle!' promises to be an unforgettable experience that will leave you wanting more!

*There will be two 40 minute musical performances with a brief 10 minute intermission.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Marlaena Moore:

Originally hailing from Edmonton, Alberta, and currently based in Montreal, Moore has become one of Canada's preeminent songwriters and performers, rightfully recognized for a commanding, yet warmly engaging stage presence in tandem with her superbly crafted and emotionally direct – even disarmingly so, at times – brand of songwriting (to wit, Consequence of Sound praised her “powerful vocal range and sturdy songs...her music did more than charm.”). She's shared stages with acts such as Angel Olsen, US Girls, and Jennifer Castle, and Exclaim! listed Moore as an “Artist To Watch” in 2020.

After gaining traction in the late '10s with her celebrated album Gaze, Marlaena Moore joined forces with Sub Pop recording artist and cherished indie iconoclast Chad Van Gaalen and drummer/producer Chris Dadge (Alvvays, Samantha Savage Smith) to record her next album Pay Attention, Be Amazed. Where Gaze favoured a stripped-down, no-frills rock trio sound, her last offering took full advantage of a lengthy gestation period, honing the songs, demos, and arrangements with Dadge before entering Van Gaalen's funhouse of studio, tucked away in northwest Calgary. Moore and her crew of collaborators – including Scott Munro (Preoccupations) and Ryan Bourne (Ghostkeeper) – painted a sparkling, multi-faceted, and undeniably widescreen interpretation of her songs. Sitting alongside pleasingly direct tracks such as lead single 'I Miss You', 'Imposter', and 'Love As Is' were more ornately configured tracks like the cello, pedal steel, and trombone infused 'Xmas Oranges'; keyboard and synth-heavy fantasias 'All Alone (Full of Love)' and 'Please Don't Cut My Garden'; and full-band rager 'Better Than Me', complete with a winding, psych-leaning improvised ending.

Wood Andrews: 

On his debut record, quite literally titled ‘The Sound of Wood’, Wood Andrews presents as a sort of befuddled journeyman of the modern era, fixing his hair in his phone, ticked off by pseudoscientists spreading disinformation, and wishing he didn’t hate cars so he could drive a proverbial Mustang to emotional freedom. He gets a shitty job to pay his bills, picks up smoking to get breaks from his job and then ends up working more to pay for the cigarettes. He lists all his bad habits. He wears heavy boots on a country hike and intentionally bewilders data analysis technicians with his online activity. ’You can renovate almost everything / but you can’t renovate this man’ sings Wood, just before the song turns and he admits to working on himself with as much intensity as he did the freshly flipped condo. 

Recorded live off the floor in a garage on PEI with a cast of local island musicians, the record dispenses with flashy production in favour of a lived-in, cohesive feeling. Draped with pedal steel, wurlitzer, piano and stoic drums, the record was co-produced with Den Whitley, (who may or may also be known as Toronto musician Ben Whiteley), mixed by Howard Bilerman, and mastered by Harris Newman. Complete with Cavendish gift shop-esque album art, misspelled t-shirts, and a freewheeling live show (at which Scotty Lowther is known to make the occasional appearance). The world of Wood is like none other.

PRODUCED BY

Marlaena Moore and Wood Andrews 

CAST

Musical Performances by Marlaena Moore and Wood Andrews 

Hosted by James Mcgee

Featuring; Vance Gillis, Alex Brown, Jason Grimmer, and Monika Schneider

TICKETS

$20 in Advance, here, on Eventbrite

$25 Cash At The Door

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Theatre VME / Variations Mile End, 5337 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal, Canada