As spring begins to bloom and Montreal starts glowing again, there’s no more perfect time for Krooked Kings’ to bring their In Another Life tour to the city. Hailing from Salt Lake City, the band brought nostalgic indie rock to the intimate Bar Le Ritz, turning a dull Wednesday night into one to remember.
While streets outside were quiet, Bar Le Ritz was only beginning to feel alive. People slowly trickled toward the stage, beers and tequila sodas in hand, as chatter filled the venue. A blue haze washed over the room, as opener Annika Wells hopped on stage, beaming in her overalls and pigtails. Her energetic and catchy pop set made the room glow, as she performed tracks spanning across her discography. Wells’ shared stories behind the meaning of her songs, making the set feel more like a conversation with your close friends than a show at a bar. Introducing her unreleased track “Bath Water“, inspired by her experience on mushrooms, she told the crowd to close their eyes and imagine being “high as hell on mushrooms”. Cymbals reflected blue lights across the room, making you feel a bit high even if you were sober. She bittersweetly announced It was her final night opening for Krooked Kings, ending her set with celebratory shots with her guitarist, Connor McCoy and her drummer, India Pasucci. Later, at the merch booth, Wells told me she had been touring for many years, and this had been her favourite run so far – obviously incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have opened for the band for a few shows.
With a growing audience, the house lights dimmed as Oliver “Oli” Martin (guitar and lead vocals), Paul Colgan (guitar), Matt Monosson (bass), David Macey (keys) and Quinn Casper (drums) stepped onto stage. Cheers erupted as fans pushed closer to the stage, the boys grinning as they began with “Telephobia“, the first track off their new album In Another Life. Though the song explores the difficulty of finding authentic connection in the digital age of social media, the connection in that room felt anything but distant. Performing songs from their new album and older projects like Shiver, and All Out of Good Days, their set began with an energetic streak as the room danced together. Under all the energy, there was still a sense of vulnerability that bled through the bands’ performance.
As the mellow guitar of “My Friend Max” filled the venue, a track about self doubt, substance use and losing sight of your past self, Oli told the audience: “This song is about me being a big piece of shit”. The band continued by performing softer songs, as the room was painted with flashlights for “Rancher’s Daughter”, with the audience staying just as engaged. The band told the room that it was louder than Toronto’s crowd of 300 yesterday, with Oli yelling “Team Montreal!”
When the band left the stage, Montreal wasn’t ready to let go so easily. After the crowd cheered the loudest it had all night, Krooked Kings came back for a three song encore, performing fan favourites “Catacombs”, “Damage Control“ and “Sick of Being Young”. Even after the set, the band stayed to chat and take photos with fans. As the venue slowly emptied and the night wound down, there was something about the show’s infectious energy that lingered.
