For an artist whose music thrives on intimacy, melancholy, and emotional vulnerability, Joji’s concert at Montreal’s Centre Bell on June 20th, 2026 was no exception to these themes. With the size of the venue, holding roughly 16k fans for a concert, it is tough to set a scene intimate enough to make the room feel close and personal, but Joji seemed to pull it off with a polished ease. Supporting acts Nate Sib and Corbin also contributed to the evening’s tone. Their performances helped establish the night’s mood while introducing the audience to emerging artists whose work shares similar lyrical moods and music style with Joji’s discography. By the time Joji took the stage, the Centre Bell crowd was fully engaged and erupting in cheers from the moment the lights went down.

The Montreal stop came early in Joji’s highly anticipated Solaris Tour, a massive North American and European run supporting his latest album Piss In The Wind. Longtime fans could tell this was more than just a regular tour for Joji, but more so a reminder of how far he has come since emerging from internet culture as George Kusunoki Miller, the creator behind “The Filthy Frank Show” on YouTube and Pink Guy personas, before reinventing himself as one of contemporary music’s most distinctive alternative R&B voices. He even popularized the Harlem Shake dance!
Many initially viewed the transition with skepticism, assuming his musical ambitions wouldn’t reach the same heights as his online persona, but instead, Joji steadily established himself as a real artist, releasing acclaimed projects including BALLADS 1, Nectar, SMITHEREENS, and most recently, Piss In The Wind.
His music blends alternative R&B, lo-fi production, electronic textures, and pop songwriting, creating a distinctive sound that is deserving of the success he found. Today, he stands as one of the great examples of an internet creator successfully reinventing themselves as a legitimate recording artist.

By the time the lights dimmed, the smoke started pouring in the venue and the massive background screens lit up, the roar of the crowd was deafening. Joji’s strength as a performer has never been theatrics, elaborate props or choreography. Instead, he succeeds through creating an intimate scene that highlights the emotions in his music. His songs explore loneliness, heartbreak, longing, and self-reflection, themes that resonate deeply with audiences navigating similar emotions. Throughout the night, the singer demonstrated an ability to shift seamlessly between vulnerable ballads and more energetic moments, maintaining an emotional connection with the audience despite the size of the arena.

The setlist reflected the full range of Joji’s catalog while featuring the most songs from “Piss In The Wind” and “Nectar.” The show opened with a bang, with performances of “PIXELATED KISSES,” “Sojourn,” and “Ew,” then continuing with popular fan favourites including “Glimpse of Us,” “Daylight,” and “Like You Do.” After a 25 song setlist featuring some interludes, the concert closed in a powerful rendition of “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK, ” a song that remains one oft he defining works of Joji’s career and one that transformed the Bell Centre into a sea of illuminated phone screens and a shower of confetti.

One of the night’s highlights was when Joji brought out a robot during “Last of a Dying Breed.” The robot danced next to him during the song, which added humour to an otherwise very emotional concert. During the rest of the set, Joji delivered a performance that emphasized emotion over technical perfection. His voice carried a rawness that complemented the themes of the material, particularly during quieter moments. In an era when many arena performers rely heavily on choreography or elaborate staging to maintain audience engagement, Joji’s greatest asset remains his capacity to communicate vulnerability. Other than a few props, such as the robot, a t-shirt cannon and confetti at the end of the set, Joji’s sole “prop” was the large screens behind him. The visuals were very psychedelic, putting the audience in what felt like a trance to fully convey the experience and emotions in the songs he was performing.

The Solaris Tour is not the first time Joji has performed in Montreal. His performance at Osheaga Music Festival in 2019, and in 2022 at MTELUS (a much smaller venue than Centre Bell) largely helped him establish a fanbase in Montreal. Throughout the night, fans sang every lyric, reinforcing the idea that Joji’s music functions as more than entertainment; for many listeners, it serves as a way to cope with deeply personal experiences and as a reminder that they aren’t dealing with these experiences alone.

As the final notes faded and fans slowly made their way toward the exits, many stopping to pick up merch before they left, the atmosphere showed that Montreal had witnessed more than a routine tour stop. Despite Montreal’s show being one of the first stops, the Solaris Tour already proved itself one to be not necessarily polished in the way a usual arena performer’s elaborate set is, but designed perfectly to represent what each song’s meaning calls for. As the tour continues, audiences can expect a production that combines captivating visuals, emotional songwriting, and a performer who continues to redefine expectations the public sets on him. For Montreal fans, the concert on June 20th, 2026 offered a compelling reminder of Joji’s unique ability to transform deeply personal music into a communal experience—one capable of filling an arena while still leaving you feeling like you were the only one in the crowd.

Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

JOJI

NATE SIB

All Photo Credit: Ashley Bellam

On June 10th, 2026, fans packed into MTELUS for the Montreal stop of Bleachers’ Bleachers Forever tour. This is the second time the band has had in Montreal, the first being at Osheaga Music and Arts Festival back in 2022, which is the perfect place to build a Montreal fanbase.

Momo Boyd, a New York City based vocalist and songwriter, had no problem setting the tone for the night. With songs like “Cold Hands,” “Strong,” and even a cover of “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, her set was filled with enchanting purple lights, beautifully deep lyrics, and captivating vocals. Although her performance was more “low-key” than a typical Bleachers performance, it had its moments of picking up, and was the perfect way to ease the crowd into the night, and left many audience members as a new fan.

As Bleachers took the stage, opening their set with “My Way,” there was no doubt that this would be a night to remember. The band, consisting of lead singer Jack Antonoff, Mikey Freedom Hart, Zem Audu, Mike Riddleberger, Evan Smith and Sean Hutchinson came out to the wonderful sound of saxophone played by band member Zem Audu, and though the first half of the song was slower, the energy built up shortly after through flashing lights, jumps and a roaring crowd.

The audience erupted in cheers and laughter as lead singer, Jack Antonoff spoke out about artists always skipping Montreal during their tours, saying: “They think they can play Osheaga and that’s enough?”, and “What’s with (bands) that think they can play Osheaga, which is like an expensive ticket, and not just come play a normal show.” As me, and many others in that room have traveled to Toronto to see our favourite artists when they skip Montreal on tour, I completely agree with this!

The night continued with back-to-back hits, including “you and forever,” “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call,” and of course, “I Wanna Get Better,” and closing the set with “Stop Making This Hurt.” They even played a cover of Margaret by Lana Del Ray, which they’re featured on!

Bleachers set an incredible standard of engaging a crowd and keeping a consistently high-energy audience. From the first note, to the emotional highs and lows, to the closing goodbyes, fans were cheering, singing and dancing the whole time! They even had a photobooth in the venue where you could take pictures before the show! This is certainly a band that will be in people’s rotation for years to come, so the tour name speaks for itself when it says, Bleachers Forever!

Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

BLEACHERS

MOMO BOYD

All Photo Credit: Ashley Bellam