Festivals
All Things Go Launches Benefit Compilation For The Ally Coalition
Today, All Things Go proudly announces the first installment of its forthcoming benefit compilation, with 100% of the proceeds going to their longtime collaborators at The Ally Coalition (TAC), a leading nonprofit dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth. The debut track, “Jesus and John Wayne,” a poignant collaboration between googly eyes, Joy Oladokun, and Allison Ponthier, is available now. The compilation, featuring a diverse lineup of special original songs and collaborations from artists in the All Things Go community, will be available this fall. The full tracklist, featuring an exciting collection of both marquee and emerging names from the festival’s history, will be revealed soon.
“Jesus and John Wayne” is a bold, soul-searching anthem about reclaiming faith from the grip of politics and exclusion – inspired by the NYT Bestselling novel by Kristin Kobes Du Mez. Written by googly eyes joined by Joy Oladokun and Allison Ponthier, it reimagines spirituality as a source of healing, belonging, and radical love, especially for those the church has pushed aside. The song has clearly struck a chord with listeners already, finding consistent virality on socials ahead of its hotly anticipated release.
Founded in 2013 by Jack Antonoff and fashion designer Rachel Antonoff, TAC is committed to bettering the lives of LGBTQ+ youth across the country. By working with artists on tours, campaigns, and events, TAC provides support for non-profit organizations around the world.
All Things Go is celebrating over a decade of festivals, originating in the Washington, D.C. area before expanding to New York in 2024. Known for its intentional focus on female and non-binary-led lineups, the festival reflects All Things Go’s ongoing commitment to cultivating diverse, inclusive spaces within the music community. This year’s ATG Festival editions at Columbia, MD’s Merriweather Post Pavilion and New York’s Forest Hills Stadium see female and LGBTQ+ artists at the forefront and headlining again, with Doechii, Lucy Dacus, Clairo, Kesha, MARINA, The Mariás, Lola Young, etc performing on September 26,27 and 28.
In 2023, All Things Go launched a partnership with The Ally Coalition (TAC) to further support LGBTQ+ youth through on-site programming and artist-driven engagement across its festival platforms.
googly eyes elaborates on “Jesus and John Wayne”: “There’s so much love, grief, gratitude, and deep ache wrapped into my religious journey – especially as an American who’s watched people and politics essentially hijack the faith I grew up in. Anyone who’s gone through deconstruction knows how devastating and lonely it can feel. I hope this song resonates with those people. I’m so honored to have Allison and Joy sing this with me as we support the LGBTQIA+ community, a group so often hurt by the church. I might’ve left the brick and mortar behind, but I’m grateful to carry the awe, reverence, and compassion for ALL people with me, now more than ever.”
Joy Oladokun says: “Being asked to be a part of this song has been a rich experience. my faith as queerness have always been woven into the fabric of my music and this song so eloquently reflects a struggle so many of us face. i’ve never felt like god ever asked me to choose between faith and queerness. people did that. i feel like this song will be a comfort to the people who hear it.”
Allison Ponthier adds: “”Jesus and John Wayne” is one of those features that comes with a divine backstory for me. I happened to also be reading the book that inspired the title, when I saw googly eyes had written the song. It’s one of those songs that I wish I wrote, so I’m honored she asked me to be on it with Joy Oladakun. As someone who grew up singing in church, there was something incredibly church-like and healing about singing this song with these two women. It’s a song about growing up with lessons like “love thy neighbour” and “judge not,” but being left feeling like the words of religion have been twisted and taken in bad faith for personal gain. My hope for “Jesus and John Wayne” is that it encourages us to rethink spirituality as a reason to fight for the rights of all people and religion as a form of community that can be inclusive and safe. The song asks the question: Would anyone who loves us enough to create us want us to sow hatred among ourselves?”
Festivals
Montréal Jazz Festival 2026 – Patrick Watson
July 3, 2026
If you thought the outdoor main stage at Jazz Fest was packed earlier in the week, it had absolutely nothing on the sea of people that squeezed into the Place des Festivals for Patrick Watson. The site was packed right to the limit. The last time he played the festival back in 2021, it was to a strictly limited, socially distanced crowd, and he actually took a moment to contrast that eerie, quiet landscape with the overwhelming wall of faces looking back at him this time around. The massive turnout made it feel like the city had just been waiting for the perfect moment to properly welcome him back.
The whole night felt like a massive, curated homecoming celebration with his favourite people on earth. By the third song, he already had the crowd cheering when he brought out Montreal’s own Martha Wainwright, who has been heavily involved in the local scene and festival circuit this year, to share the stage. Right after that, he raised the bar even higher by bringing up a string quartet for a stunning performance of “Ode to Vivian.” He took a second to tell the story behind the track, explaining how it was inspired by the street photographer Vivian Maier, who secretly kept her incredible work to herself until she passed, only to posthumously become an inspiration to thousands of photographers worldwide.
The emotional peak of the set came during “To Build a Home.” Watson talked about how deeply the experience of growing up in Montreal shaped him both as a person and a musician, noting that his music could only ever be written in a city with this exact type of creative spirit. As the song played, vintage 1960s video footage of Montreal rolled across the massive backdrops, which gave the whole performance an incredibly nostalgic, cinematic weight. He kept the collaborations rolling through the night, too, pulling the brilliant November Ultra onto the stage for “Silencio,” and later bringing out the rising indie-folk artist Solann.
The years might be passing, but Patrick Watson proves every time he steps on a stage that he remains an absolute force of nature. He doesn’t care about shifting trends; he just cares about his craft. A few people floating around the crowd might have been a little disappointed not to hear some of the older classics like “Lighthouse” or “The Great Escape,” but honestly, what better setting is there to test out your newest material than the Montreal Jazz Festival in front of your home crowd? Besides, when the performance is that stunning from start to finish, you really can’t be mad about it.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
PATRICK WATSON
All Photo Credit: Andres Amaya
Festivals
FIFA Fan Festival™ Vancouver – Simple Plan & JJ Wilde
The weather did everything it could to keep people away from the the FIFA Fan Festival™ in Vancouver on July 2, but fans had other ideas. Heavy rain lingered throughout the day, yet by the evening the amphitheatre at the PNE Grounds was packed with concertgoers ready to enjoy live music alongside the excitement of the FIFA World Cup.
The day’s schedule featured Round of 32 matches on the big screen between performances from local and international artists. Vancouver’s own JJ Wilde took the amphitheatre stage in the early evening, bringing her trademark mix of gritty rock vocals and confident stage presence. Her performance gave the crowd plenty of energy before the night’s main attraction, and showed everyone why she became the first woman in 25 years to win Canadian Rock Album Of The Year prize at Junos Awards.
Closing out the night was Montreal pop-punk veterans Simple Plan, who showed exactly why they continue to be one of Canada’s most reliable live bands more than two decades into their career. Rain-soaked fans sang along from the opening notes of “I’d Do Anything” as the band wasted no time getting the audience involved. Their set moved quickly through fan favourites including “Nothing Changes,” “Shut Up!,” “Jump,” “Jet Lag,” and “Welcome to My Life,” with nearly every chorus echoed back by the crowd.
The setlist balanced nostalgia with newer material, featuring songs like “Nothing Changes,” “Loser of the Year,” and “Million Pictures” alongside classics that have become staples of the band’s live shows. “Summer Paradise” brought a welcome reminder of sunnier days, even if the skies over Vancouver refused to cooperate.
One of the night’s most entertaining moments came during “What’s New Scooby-Doo?” Better known by fans simply as the Scooby-Doo song, the band continued its long-running concert tradition by inviting several people dressed as Scooby-Doo onto the stage.
The energy never dipped as the band powered through a party medley before closing with “Where I Belong,” “I’m Just a Kid,” and, fittingly, “Perfect.” Thousands of voices filled the amphitheatre, creating one of the loudest singalongs of the festival so far.
July 2 served as another reminder of what has made the FIFA Fan Festival such a success throughout the tournament. Football may bring people together during the day, but the nightly concerts have become just as much a reason to gather. Even under grey skies and persistent rain, Vancouver fans turned out in force, and Simple Plan rewarded that dedication with a high-energy performance that left the crowd smiling long after the final note.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full galleries of Simple Plan and JJ Wilde!
SIMPLE PLAN
JJ WILDE
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer