La Femme Bring French Psychedelia to Montreal’s Osheaga Festival
Tucked into the back reaches of Parc Jean-Drapeau, the Scène de la Vallée feels like its own secret hideout—a perfect fit for the genre-bending sound of French psych-pop band La Femme. As golden hour set in on day one of Osheaga, the group transformed the stage into an electric dancefloor, blending surf rock, punk, and synth-pop into something distinctly their own.
La Femme, formed in Biarritz and Paris, have always embraced the surreal. Their sound feels like it’s piped in from a lost 1960s sci-fi flick, filtered through a smoky underground club. But on this warm summer evening, it felt right at home under the canopy of trees in Montreal’s most iconic park.
The band kept the energy high with infectious grooves, hypnotic synths, and bursts of saxophone. “Cool Colorado,” a laid-back anthem about taking it easy in the American West, drifted over the crowd like a breeze. The track’s mellow pacing and distant vocals gave the crowd a feeling of relief and excitement for the weekend.
Moments later, “Sur La Planche” pulled the audience into a trance-like state. The song’s looping riffs give a feeling of surfing a metaphorical wave of emotion and seeking spiritual gratification. Finally, was "Antitaxi", a song which stresses the importance of public transit.
Each member of the band exuded a different flavor of cool, from stoic detachment to theatrical flair. There’s a sense of organized chaos to La Femme’s shows—costumes, personas, and mood swings collide to create something surprisingly cohesive. It's psychedelic without being hazy, danceable without being formulaic. My favourite part is when they pick up an entire synthesizer keyboard and play it like a giant keytar. It was a reminder that La Femme never take themselves too seriously, even when their sound dives into the otherworldly.
As the sun dipped lower and the stage lights took over, the vibe turned dreamlike. Montreal, a city proud of its culture, welcomed La Femme like hometown heroes. The applause was raucous and genuine, echoing through the trees long after the final notes rang out.
For those who found themselves at the Valley Stage, it was a spell. And for a brief moment, Osheaga felt like it belonged to another world entirely.
Revew by: Christopher Murphy
Pictures by: Benoit Rousseau
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