So, this is how a ”Funk-à-Folies” event happens… 7pm: Rebel Brassserie Urbaine opens (1470 St Catherine St E, Montreal, Quebec H2L 2J1). Resident DJ Ben Radcliffe warms up the crowd with old/new funk classics while patrons enjoy their drinks and order food. About 45 minutes in Van comes on, sings an opening number, fools with the crowd then presents a different guest star each month, who performs sporadically throughout the evening.
For March, he invited Lebanese-Canadian pop sensation J4DE to share the stage with him. I interviewed the pair as they were getting ready for the party…
So how do you know each other?
Van: – I think it was in a back alley, wasn’t it??? Kidding kidding kidding- it was at the gym. I thought he looked really cool. Then I got to know him and realized he WAS as cool as he looked. Loved him from the start!
J4DE: I saw Van at the gym literally saying hello to everyone, thinking: “is this guy even working out? 😝” But really he was mega friendly to me and everything else. I first noticed his doll like face, also realized he is forever youthful. We started talking one day and realized we were both artists.
Van, what do you think of J4DE’s art?
Van: – The first thing you notice about him: his level of culture is very high. I knew he was well-traveled, well educated and posh even before I spoke to him. I would say this reflects in his art. He does queer pop but in a highly sophisticated/complex way. Plus, he’s not only songs- he has a very interesting aesthetic and he is positive. Everything I personally love.
What songs will you perform, J4DE? And how do you feel when performing live?
J4DE: Aw Van 🙂 thanks. Okay what songs?! Um.. Well now you’re putting me on the spot! I hadn’t officially decided which songs but here they are: I’m going to sing my French radio classic “Éphémère”, my super fun happy 80s inspired bop “Radio Silence”, my provocative metaphor of being a s*x doll used by the industry “Use Me Like A Doll” and my brand new song (Out March 21st) called “CLUB”.
What’s the vibe for this March edition??
Van: – Well we are doing it on the 22nd so it’s the start of Spring, rebirth, hope! I want it to be even more festive and optimistic than usual! Lord knows we all need a little break from the ambient gloom of now!
Will you still do a cupcake contest?
Van: – That’s something I did once and it was such an icebreaker I decided to include it in all shows. Basically, we play ”Name that funk tune” and ”Show us how you can funk”: winners get cupcakes. It’s the silliest, simplest thing but guests love it.
J4DE, tell us something surprising about yourself…
J4DE: I always lose 1 of 2 socks and I’m obsessed with Manifesting my dreams and when I doubt in myself I become way more negative than most people could imagine. Even if they know me as the most optimistic “dreams come true so don’t give up” type of person. So I will now only look forward at what is coming and expect my future to be way more expansive than my past. People see me as way successful, and in a true way yes I have accomplished a lot (and made a lot of my dreams come true) but I don’t feel like I’ve come close to my potential. Which might be to be able to keep both socks together always. No but for real I have major ups and downs and I want people to know that things aren’t always perfect. For anyone apparently, so I’ll stop comparing myself to a fake perfect vision that I think everyone has except for me. Also something surprising… the number 7, 1 and 4 are all my lucky numbers and when I saw that Van’s show had an address with those numbers, it convinced me that yes this is for me.
Tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/funk-a-folies-mars-guest-superstar-j4de-tickets-1257565394949
Other links:
Presave/stream J4DE’s new song CLUB here: https://vyd.co/J4deClub
@jadehassone
@vanhechter