All is well that ends well, right? Even if the rest of the day was a flop, those who coughed up seventy-five dollars for admission to the first day of the Osheaga Music Festival got their money’s worth with just one act alone. Arcade Fire sent shivers down most of the twenty-five thousand spines of folks who witnessed a live show so brilliantly executed, so beautifully displayed, and emotionally received.

So was the rest of the day a flop? Think again. Osheaga brought the goods, once more.

I exited Jean-Drapeau metro station just as the first band’s were setting up and getting ready to kick off the festivities. Feeling high and mighty with my luxurious press pass, I figured I’d head over to the posh media tent and chew the fat with my fellow aristocrats. Yeah, no. Just kidding. Free water was nice, though! It was time for some music.

To kick off the day, I headed over to Scène des Arbres to catch Montreal singer-songwriter Daniel Isiah Schachter. Signed to Secret City Records this past week, I wanted to see what the newest addition to the great local independent label. Schachter’s voice was nothing short of stellar, providing the firepower for his strong lyrical content. I’m excited to see him grow, and hopefully blow up in the next couple of years.

After a quick set from Daniel, I rushed over to Scène de la Rivière to take pleasure in one of my favorite bands, The Walkmen. This indie rock outfit from New York caught my attention in 2008 with their most recent studio album entitled You & Me. Lead singer Hamilton Leithauser cemented his place among my favorite male vocalists with a terrific half-hour set of vintage instrumentation and powerful vocals.

Next up was Owen Pallett at Scène Verte, who had, excluding headliner, my favorite set of the day. It was a set that ended on a sour note, with Owen having to stop halfway through “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt” due to monitor issues. Apologizing on the stage and also via Twitter shortly after his set, “Apologies for cutting the last song. Playing without monitors is like building a house of cards in an earthquake.” Can’t blame the guy. All ugly stares were directed towards the solar paneled tower where the sound technicians resided.

I then made the short trip over to Scène des Arbres for another Montreal-based band called Final Flash. This quintet deals in their own style of psych-rock, and made for a relatively entertaining set. Didn’t stay for the whole performance, as I wanted to catch the tail-end of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. They made Montreal their home for the day, extending their set by five minutes so they could squeeze “Home” in to end their triumphant set.

As soon as Edward Sharpe finished up, he took to the other main stage to watch the legendary reggae all-star Jimmy Cliff. The recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer pranced around the stage, and had the crowd completely immersed from beginning to end. “I Can See Clearly Now” was of course well received by the thousands who were “feeling alright”, much to Cliff’s enjoyment.

Caught a little bit of K’Naan, a little bit of Japandroids, and a little bit of Bahamas. When 5:30 PM hit, I took a seat on one of the wooden platforms at Scène des Arbres. Alongside my dear Laura Carmosino, I was waiting for Avi Buffalo. To say that I have a man-crush on hearththrob lead singer Avi is an understatement. My only complaint with Buffalo’s set was that it was too short. I just, I just, I just wanted that moment to last a life time, you know?

Food time. Six dollars and seventy-five cents for a poutine. Sure, why not? It took half of an hour for me to get money out of the only bank machine on the island and two minutes to scarf that greasy bad-boy down. Not enough cheese. Too much gravy. You do not get what you pay for. As expected, music festival food. As expected.

I parked myself in front of Scène de la Riviere while Pavement was playing. My motif was to get a great spot for Arcade Fire. Not only was my plan executed perfectly, but I got to witness two great shows during my wait. Pavement was absolutely phenomenal, and then The National over at Scène de la Montagne? It wasn’t much of a wait, as the bands got their well-deserved praise from me, just one of the tens of thousands who delighted in the great one-two punch that preambled Arcade Fire.

A couple of tunes off of Neon Bible, a lot of tunes off of Funeral, and a good chunk of their new Suburbs baby. I was blown away. Easily debatable, but there’s almost no doubt in my mind that Arcade Fire is the best band making music today. Considering everything. Considering their releases thus far, considering their powerful live performance, I have yet to hear anything I haven’t loved. If you have yet to see Arcade Fire in your town, that needs to be added to your bucket list. No matter your taste in music, everyone can appreciate what Arcade Fire can accomplish on stage.

Upon completing this review, I am through Recapus Mode. My voice is still shot, my body is still aching, and my system is still half asleep. Now entering Recoverus Mode, which means I’m a shave, shower, and sandwich away from my normal routine. Day one of Osheaga proved to be a great success from beginning to end. Big thanks to the staff, the artists, the fans, and the fireworks.

Let us know what you thought of Osheaga 2010. Check our Osheaga themed #MusicMonday picks this week. See you at Osheaga 2011!