Taverne Tour 2026: Sean Nicholas Savage & Fine Food Market play La Sala Rossa

An Arbutus lineup featuring an established Montreal act and an up-and-coming one hit the stage at La Sala Rossa on Thursday to open the Taverne Tour Festival.

Sean Nicholas Savage and Fine Food Market brought two very different stage presences that complemented each other well. Fine Food Market had a full band and a full sound with several members on stage. Savage was a ball of youthful energy at almost 40 years old and explored every inch of the stage as his bandmates held their ground on two keyboards and a hybrid drum kit.

Fine Food Market kicked off the show as people began to pour in, and the crowd held a polite four-foot ring around the stage. Fine Food Market is the moniker of Sophie Perras, a classically trained pianist based in Montreal. She has a country-folk sound with some pop mixed in and lists Savage as one of her influences. Her lyrics are written in both English and French on her debut EP, I’m afraid to be in love with someone who crashes their car that much, which was released in May of 2025. Perras came up with–or stuck with–her band name after her iPhone demos were automatically labeled Fine Food Market due to her apartment's proximity to a grocery store.

Perras was joined on stage by several talented musicians including Ben Vallée, who added the country twang on steel guitar, and Alexandre Colas on Sax; both of whom are featured on the studio recordings of the EP. Perras stood centre stage on a Nord keyboard which she played effortlessly while singing. She wore mostly red with a white and red button-down gingham shirt. Her voice was soft and breathy as it is on the studio recordings and I didn’t notice much improvisation besides the occasional guitar or sax solo. To end the set, Perras played “Still D.R.E.” as she introduced the musicians around her.

Between sets, I almost bumped into Savage as he left the bathroom with a polite smile. La Sala Rossa is one of Montreal’s nicer rooms because it’s very intimate while still welcoming some larger names. As the smokers trickled back in for Savage’s set, there was still a polite barrier between audience and stage.

Savage immediately told everyone to move in close as he twirled around the stage without appearing to notice the wires catching between his toes. He has been on tour out west (where he’s from), though you would think it was his first ever performance by his enthusiasm and appreciation for the audience. He thanked everyone for coming several times.

The music was much more stripped down than the Fine Food Market set and had an ‘80s synth and drum sound. Savage wore camo pants and a suit jacket– “I didn’t know what else to wear,” he said. He ditched the suit jacked for only a dress shirt mid-set and ended with a red sweater. Savage came out hot and remained hot throughout the set. He was joined by new bandmates for his winter tour and showed a great appreciation for them as well.

Savage belted everything through an SM57, his voice sometimes getting rough, then turning into a clean falsetto. He continued twirling with the stage wires in his toes. He stood stiffly with his neck and arms stretched out when hitting the bigger notes. He reached out to the crowd, fell to his knees, waved the mic in front of his mouth and moved constantly. Cameras flashed every time he came to the very front of the stage.

The set was full-hearted but loose. Savage cracked jokes and had good banter with the crowd. He invited Alexandre Colas up to join the band on sax. As Alexandre left the stage, Savage was sitting at the back catching his breath. He said, “Come back out and jam on this one too if you feel like it,” and Alex returned to the stage to cheers.

Christopher Owens took over after Savage and changed the mood drastically once again. He played solo with a guitar and I was unable to catch his full set, but from what I did see, he played a much softer set than the previous two.

Having never caught a Sean Nicholas Savage performance, it was great to see one of the pioneers of the Montreal indie scene in the flesh. Savage has played so many shows and continues to retain every ounce of enthusiasm for his craft.

Fine Food Market has a ton of potential and is only at the starting line. On stage, the band has no lack of chemistry, and I believe Perres is planning an album towards the end of 2026. Fine Food Market is off to SXSW next month, and Savage is heading to New York before he begins a tour of Europe.