Red Red Shine

I walked over to the St. Denis and Jean Talon area in the late afternoon to buy some banh mi to bring back to Ottawa. The days of super cheap subs are over. But for $6.50, the special banh mi (more meat than the regular at $5.50) at Hoang Oanh Sandwich was still a good deal. That would explain why the customers there, like me, were buying several subs per order.

I wandered around for a bit then made my way to a Middle-Eastern vegan restaurant called Sham. The name was a bit odd but perhaps it was an homage to nearby Shamrock Avenue. I've eaten shish taouk before but not a vegetarian one. So I ordered the shawarma version ($9.50) with the meat replaced with sautéed mushrooms. The restaurant was homey and cozy but I decided to eat at a outdoor eating area on Shamrock which had been beautified some years back. Like all the food I've eaten in Montreal so far, it was ok but not particularly outstanding (for the price).

I walked over to Bar Le Ritz at about 7:45 pm. The place was already packed despite the early hours. I guess unlike Toronto, folks in Montreal show up early. The line for Ginger Root's merchandise (manned by the lead Cameron Lew) was already 15 people long. I didn't want to wait until after the show so I got in line too. As such, I was only half-listening to the opener King Pari. This Minneapolis via L.A. band played catchy dance music that combined samples and tracks along with live vocals, guitar and trumpet solos. The crowd was already into it tonight. Luckily I was able to buy some merch because after me, Lew took off to get ready for his set.

So was Ginger Root worth the trip to Montreal? Lew is the real deal. His City-Pop-inspired hits translated to a tight, funky set with help from high-school friends Matt Carney (drums) and Dylan Hovis (bass). His  easy-going stage patter endeared him to the crowd especially after he claimed that Montreal tap water was superior to Toronto's. The 80s/90s Japanophile love included a roving cameraman who shot the set (in glorious analog) onto the stage backdrop, 2 City-Pop covers, and a medley of anime theme songs. Before playing his viral hit Loretta, Lew thanked his sponsors: The Youtube Algorithm (as planned) and also NordVPN (as shouted out by a cheeky audience member). The sold-out crowd loved the music, the skits, and Lew's disarming and slightly nerdy vibe. After a raucous call for an encore, his "deep cut" (but danceable) Mahjong Room showed that Lew already has a good catalogue. With crowd singalongs like Weather, I think Ginger Root has staying power.