On February 14, Gerts Bar and Café transformed into a cozy, intimate space for students to celebrate Valentine’s Day. A fireplace glowed on a large flatscreen TV next to the stage and red and pink paper hearts decorated the walls. Students dressed in pinks, reds, and whites crowded high-top tables assembled in front of the stage, chatting while Jam for Justice executives adjusted a keyboard and microphone.
“How’s everyone doing tonight?” one of two hosts leaned into the mic, and the crowd cheered. Someone let out a loud “Woo!” masking the groans of those who exchanged deprecated chuckles about their mutual dislike of Valentine’s Day.
The hosts continued to explain the premise of the event. Jam for Justice, a non-profit organization run by McGill University students, supports local charities through music events. For its Piano and Punk event, Jam for Justice collaborated with Montreal’s Heart of the City Piano Program, which provides tuition-free piano lessons to at-risk students in inner-city elementary schools. The night was divided into two halves, intended to represent the duality of love: Heart of the City piano teachers performed gentle piano pieces for the first part of the evening, before Montreal-based punk rock bands — As Usual, Ruby Slipper, and Art Grey — took over for the second half.
In a written statement to the Daily, Holly Kohler, Vice President of Communications at Jam for Justice, explained the intention behind the evening’s theme. “We wanted to make sure we could make this often tiresome day something that everyone could enjoy, regardless of whether or not they are in a relationship. So with that in mind, we landed on Piano and Punk, which we felt would adequately capture the dichotomy of the Valentine’s Day experience.”
“However you’re feeling about Valentine’s Day today, we hope you enjoy the event!” the host continued, despite Valentine’s Day skeptics in the audience. A ripple of laughter moved through the room as students clapped.
As students continued to stream into the dimly lit bar, mellow piano music danced into the air. McGill student Sophia Ahern described the atmosphere as “homey” and the piano music as “chill.”
“The vibes are good!” she told the Daily.
The piano styles ranged in genre, from pop covers to Debussy. One pianist even performed an improv piece, alternating seamlessly between jazz and classical music. During a pop duet of John Legend’s “All of Me,” phone flashlights waved in unison as students waved their hands side to side. “What’s going on in that beautiful mind? I’m on your magical mystery ride…” the performers serenaded.
Despite the romantically branded music, performers insistently proclaimed that Valentine’s Day was for everyone, whether you are in a relationship or not. One singer dedicated her performance to her “besties” before launching into a heartfelt ballad.
For Helene Saleska, another McGill student, Jam for Justice’s event was a chance to spend quality time with her friends: “I think it’s really fun to celebrate love. I’m in a long-distance relationship, so for me, [Valentine’s Day] has become much more of a friend holiday than a romantic holiday.”
Fellow student Lia Graham agreed. “I’m here with my best friends, and I’m so glad to be here. I’d much rather be here on a day when we can all spend it together than if people had their [partners] here,” she told the Daily.
When the last notes of a Debussy piano piece faded out, tables were turned over and chairs set aside to make room for the dance floor. As attendees stood up from their seats, an energetic buzz reverberated through the room in anticipation of the punk performances to come.
“Gerts! How’s everyone doing?” Dylan Jacques, lead singer and bassist of the band As Usual, crooned into the mic. He was met with an excited roar, and as a wave of students filled the dance floor, the evening took a distinctive turn, changing tunes to suit the higher-energy punk music.
Jacques, a U3 student at McGill, reflected on his performance in an interview with the Daily. “Looking out during some of the songs and seeing people dancing and having fun and smiling — it’s very cool to be part of that experience.”
Vishwa Srinivasan, As Usual’s lead guitarist and U3 student at McGill, echoed his bandmate’s sentiments. “My favourite part of performing live is just how interactive it is, both between us as musicians and with the audience,” Srinivasan said to the Daily. “When you’re on stage, it’s a collective experience that everyone’s having.”
Although As Usual is not strictly a punk band — Srinivasan described them as “not bound by a genre” — they leaned into several angsty punk songs to fit the evening’s theme.
Audience member Joshua Farmer commented on the contrast between the piano and punk music, viewing it as a metaphor for the duality of love: “[It] shows that couples sometimes appear calm and mellow on the surface, but behind closed doors, it can be loud, chaotic, and messy,” he told the Daily. “It shows that relationships are real and raw.”
When asked about the duality of love, Axel Morton, an undergraduate student at Concordia University, paused. “I mean, that’s pretty deep,” he told the Daily with a chuckle. “I may or may not be in love right now. I’m still trying to figure that out.”
Morton told the Daily that love is often “taboo, but at the same time, everyone talks about love. Almost every song ever written was about love.” He added, “I think it’s important that we have this day to celebrate love.”
It is thus fitting that Jam for Justice’s Valentine’s Day event celebrated love through piano and punk — two genres that appear contradictory at first, but when paired together, embody the duality of love.