If nothing else, I take away from my weekend at Montreal’s Osheaga Music Festival one undeniable fact: Colplay frontman Chris Martin can speak French better than I can. This year — the fourth in the festival’s history — Coldplay and Yeah Yeah Yeahs served as headliners, though the cancelled performance by the Beastie Boys (due to Adam Yauch’s cancer diagnosis) was sorely missed. Other big-name acts included The Roots, Artic Monkeys (who were surprisingly dull on stage), Rufus Wainwright, The Decemberists, Jason Mraz, and Girl Talk.

Love ‘em or deride ‘em, the fact is that Coldplay’s stage show places them in that rare category reserved for performers who blur the lines between musicians and showmen. The last time a concert gave me goosebumps, it was Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, performing in 2007; Coldplay had achieved the same effect my epidermis after only three minutes on stage.  Their set began with a string of hits — “Violet Hill”, “Clocks”, “In My Place”, and “Yellow” – spruced up with a meticulous show of lights, smoke, giant confetti-filled balloons, video screens, lasers, and thousands of paper butterflies.

More eye-catching than any visual aid was Martin’s inexhaustable energy as he ran from his piano to centre stage to the end of the runway throughout the show. Coldplay’s charm lay in their surprises: notably when band appeared on a small platform in the middle of the crowd — armed with acoustic guitars — and played “Green Eyes,” and then a sing-a-long cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”.

A festival honourable mention goes out to Newfoundlanders Hey Rosetta! who fought the rain and a tough time slot — they were billed at the same time as Yeah Yeah Yeahs — to draw a devoted crowd under their tiny bandshell. The six-piece’s sound has a perfect dose of the East Coast mixed into their brand of indie pop. Though they may have been overshadowed this year, they are certainly a band to keep your eyes (and ears) out for in the near future.

Photos by Pat Beaudry.