Concert Review: The Rasmus Weirdo Tour at Studio TD, Montreal, Canada!

On May 19th, 2025, The Rasmus brought their Weirdo Tour to Montreal’s Studio TD. As one of the last stops on the North American leg of their 2025 world tour, named after the band’s upcoming album, the show was well-rehearsed but still felt authentic. It had been a long while since the Canadian metropolis had last welcomed the Finnish band into one of its venues, so the reunion felt electric. A perfect Monday night to end the three-day weekend in Canada.

Indeed, 21 years have passed since The Rasmus last came to Montreal, and it showed. It was one of the rare times that this venue was almost full by the time the opener took the stage. Usually, the crowd hangs out at the bar or shows up just in time for the headliner but this time around, the eagerness could be felt. Everyone was trying to get as close to the stage as possible in hopes of getting the best view of the musicians. Some people were even sporting merch from their 2019 Dead Letters anniversary tour, having travelled all the way to Europe to catch the band. 

Opening the night was the local punk rock band Kamakazi, who set the tone for the evening. Heads were nodding throughout the set, which brought all the energy needed to turn this Monday night into a Friday night. Some people were singing, others were dancing, and the smiles on the faces of the musicians showed how grateful they were to be opening for such a legendary band.

The Weirdo Tour is a perfect encapsulation of what The Rasmus has always promoted: strength in being different. The venue was packed with people coming from different horizons, all singing the same lyrics but each person holding a different memory linked to them. And that is the reason why music is so important. The Rasmus know that too and they welcomed the audience into their universe with open arms and no judgement. Tears were even shed, both on stage and in the crowd, as the band praised the power of live shows.

Kicking off the set with “First Day Of My Life,” frontman Lauri Ylönen, bass player Eero Heinonen, guitarist Emilia Suhonen and drummer Aki Hakala had the crowd completely charmed from the get-go. The venue erupted as soon as the first notes hit, and the connection between the band and their fans was instantaneous. With no barricade separating them, the singer was able to hold hands and interact with the audience as he pleased, and their emotion at being reunited was moving to see. 

Fans of every era of the band were spoiled, as the setlist was a good mix between their previous albums, with their 2003 break-through “Dead Letters” still taking centre stage. Based on the crowd reaction, the latter is clearly the fan favourite as songs like “Justify” or “Guilty” had everyone cheering and singing loudly. Although their 11th studio album does not come out until September, the three songs that have already been released were all played and gave the crowd a foretaste of the band’s newest project. And Montreal was lucky to hear the most recent single “Break These Chains,” which was released and premiered live in Toronto only three days before the show. On the album, it features Blind Channel’s Niko Vilhelm, and the audience received this new song with great enthusiasm. Could this be a new hit in the making? Completely, were you to ask the Montreal crowd.

The set was short, a total of 80 minutes of non-stop bouncing, with some slower moments during songs like “October & April,” but the band gave their fans everything they had. It will not be another 21 years until The Rasmus come back to Montreal, as they promised the audience. And if every reunion from now on feels as powerful as the one witnessed on Monday night, then The Rasmus will have every reason to visit this side of the Atlantic Ocean on a regular basis.

The North American tour will end with a show in Hartford, CT on May 25th, after which the band will take a break before the release of their album. “Weirdo” comes out on September 12th, 2025 via Better Noise Music and will be promoted on tour in autumn, first in their native Finland, then throughout Europe, Asia and in Mexico. And because The Rasmus care about doing what is right, they will headline the Atlas Festival in Ukraine in July to raise funds for charity and help the local population. If you get a chance to catch them on tour and turn your Monday night – or whatever day of the week you attend the show – into a party, don’t miss out!