Internationally renown DJ Tchami (real name Martin Bresso) made his way back to Montreal last night, bringing his “The Calling” tour to the city. During the summer of 2022, he took center stage at Montreal’s largest EDM festival, Ile Soniq, emerging as one of its headline acts. His set at nearby Escapade Music Festival in Ottawa in 2023 was among the most talked about of the event. This time around, his performance took place at the Theatre Paradoxe, a beautifully transformed former church in Montreal. This served as the perfect backdrop for his set.
Church Aesthetic
In his performances, Tchami adopts the distinctive persona of a priest, complete with a clerical collar. His shows are creatively themed around a church atmosphere. In any given show, you might see him perform in an altar-like DJ booth, along with stained glass visuals. This signature aesthetic is so iconic that many attendees often arrive dressed in priestly garb, emulating either Tchami himself or his priestly persona. Think of it as cosplay for the EDM crowd. Few other notable DJs get this type of reaction and effort from their fans.
Tchami Does It Again
Dj MVNGO (“Mango”), who is working her way up the local techno DJ music scene, opened the show. The crowds were filtering into the venue and enjoyed her set. But it was only when Tchami himself came on that the atmosphere solidified with excitement. His signature sound signalled that “church” was now in session and the crowd’s energy pumped from there. The overall set was a mesmerizing spectacle of light and sound. It was as though the church’s conversion to a music venue found its true purpose that night. The lights, including a giant modern chandelier floating above the crowd, was truly impressive. as a music venue. As Tchami played his music, the vibrant lightshow supported it, with beams slicing through the air. The stage area lighting displayed patterns that mimicked the colourful intricacies of stained glass windows. The DJ booth, ingeniously designed to resemble a church altar, became the focal point of the experience, drawing all eyes with its sacred aesthetic.
The music was predominantly upbeat, with Tchami spinning a mix of fan favourites. Midway through his set, the music took a slightly softer turn, slowing down the beats which allowed the crowd to sway with a touch of a subdued tone to the night’s atmosphere. Just as the pace seemed to mellow, he masterfully escalated the energy again. This took the crowd all the way to the end of the show, leaving them wanting more. That’s the best way to end a show of course! If anything, my only disappointment was that his signature song “Adieu” which is truly a simple but effective EDM masterpiece, was played in a shortened version. I would have loved to hear that shorter clip in the middle but also again at the end in full. But that’s just me, haha!
Ultimate Showmanship
One of the best parts of the show was that after Tchami finished his set and the third DJ of the night, Gaba came on, Tchami came to meet the crowd. He shook hands, signed autographed and fist bumped yours truly. A class act!
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