Being stranded on an island with thousands of sweaty, music-crazed fans can either be viewed as a nightmare or a dream. The scale teetered from side to side at various points during Saturday night’s Toronto Island show featuring what must’ve appeared to have been the strangest but most compelling line up of the summer. Whether the herds of people shuffling on and off the ferries were there for local rockers The Sadies, “robo funk” chanteuse Janelle Monae or the night’s featured attraction, Montreal Billboard royalty The Arcade Fire, an air of excitement was swirling among the sombre clouds threatening to rain on the parade (thankfully it didn’t).

Though diverse in genre, the trio of bands that played were all the cream of their respective crops. The night began with Toronto quartet The Sadies. Known for their extensive sets, stretching 2-3 hours, and annual residency on New Year’s Eve at the Horseshoe Tavern, the local act was given a significantly shorter timeslot in front of the half standing, half sitting crowd. The band’s sound varied from dark, brooding folk rock to hokey country jams, which didn’t fully translate with the massive Arcade Fire audience save the occasional person embracing the tunes with a dosey doe or two. Regardless of the fluctuating warmth of reception, the Sadies did impress with their musical strength and penchant for showmanship, especially when they pull out tricks like wrapping their arms around each other’s guitars, strumming one another’s instruments. This can probably be explained better with photo evidence (which I currently don’t have). It was apparent though that this was not the perfect setting for the band. Sunlight and tall stages are often the exact opposite of what we’re used to seeing; the Sadies can be summed up by their astounding dynamics in dark, crowded bars. For those impressed, I urge you to revisit them in said dark bar for that will provide a much better depiction of how great this band is live.

This may have marked the umpteenth time the Sadies and the Arcade Fire have paid Toronto a visit but the night’s bill did welcome a newcomer to the country – Kansas City’s Janelle Monae. Following an excited introduction by Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler himself, the dramatic instrumentations of “Suite II Overture” kicked in and the band assembled onstage, in their uniform black and white attire while Monae and two dancers marched onstage, cloaked and hidden underneath heavy capes. Monae eventually emerged though, like a burst of sass and fire with her signature pompadour and wide-eyed robotic swagger in full force spitting out the rapid fire lyrics of “Dance or Die”. Monae’s frantic, explosive energy was infectious and definitely unparallel to anyone else in music today. A melting pot of sounds, Monae seamlessly throws in dashes of soul, funk, pop, R&B and heaps of fantasia to create captivating and colourful melodies. Emulating the moves of Michael Jackson, Monae’s firecracker attitude was a show in itself, but add garbage bags of black and white balloons, an equally dynamic band and it almost becomes an overload of celebratory madness; a good kind of madness of course. Presented almost as acts or scenes of a bright, elaborate musical, Monae and company would tease the audience by hurrying offstage and returning for more. Highlights included a stripped-down cover of Nat Cole King’s “Smile”, the cloud-like dreaminess of “Wondaland”, the clap-along swing of “Locked Inside”, the “classy brass” of “Tightrope” and booming single “Cold War”. By the end of the set, Monae’s pompadour rocked out of shape but she couldn’t have been in more tip top form that evening. Hand picking an act like Janelle Monae is truly a testament to the Arcade Fire’s confidence and willingness to compete against such a phenomenal performer. Rarely do I think an act can outdo the musical force but they’ve found a competitor in Monae and I will admit, I was so musically satisfied by the end of that set that I was almost content with a ferry ride home right after.

As the sky darkened, the blinding bright lights onstage lit up and the Montreal headliners walked onstage to what had turned into a packed sea of sweaty, enthusiastic fans throwing their hands in the air cheering and bowing to the 8-piece outfit. Now before I get into another one of my “oh my god, they were SO good!” rants, I must admit that seeing the Arcade Fire three times this summer has drained me of any new adjectives to describe them. So I apologize in advance.

The Arcade Fire are one of the most consistent, breathtakingly dynamic rock bands today. Those who debated the $60 price tag that came along with this show left knowing that it was worth every penny (and subsequently every minute waiting for a goddamn ferry). Songs off 2004’s Funeral are still performed with a refreshing attack that doesn’t hint at all to its six-years of age. Neon Bible hits still swing and hit with the same fire that the band had three years ago. And of course, the welcome addition of tracks from this summer’s The Suburbs have integrated from recorded masterpieces to live fireworks. “Rococo” and “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains” are now set anthems alongside crowd favourites “Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)” and encore “Wake Up”.

In less than ten years, we’ve witnessed the rise of a small indie band from Montreal, going from bashing helmets and screaming at the Rivoli to live concert broadcasts on YouTube and charting at #1 on the Billboard. The pinnacle moment that can sum up everyone’s collective appreciation and proud pat on the band’s back can easily be summed up with the end of the band’s set, right before they returned for an encore. The lasting notes of “Rebellion (Lies)” began to blend in with the ooh’s and coos of the audience who clearing didn’t want to let go of that moment, and as music and instruments stopped leaving the stage empty and bare, the crowd continued to sing the chorus, reverberating across the entire island. If anything, that moment alone sets it apart from the two other times I saw the Arcade Fire this summer. A perfect cap to encapsulate my gratitude towards the band’s return this summer. Arcade Fire, thank you. You will forever be known as my epic romance of 2010.

For More,
MySpace (The Sadies): http://www.myspace.com/thesadies
MySpace (Janelle Monae): http://www.myspace.com/janellemonae
MySpace (The Arcade Fire): http://www.myspace.com/arcadefireofficial