Neon Trees at The Phoenix Concert Theatre

Photographs by Dakota Arsenault. 

The moment the light dimmed and the microphone stand lit up, the fans screamed to the top of their lungs for this was the moment they had been waiting for. The pop band, Neon Trees, made their return to Toronto last night – just one of the last stops on their Pop Psychology Tour.

The set was flashy, with popping colors and bold lights, which seemed fitting for the band’s third album, Pop Psychology. According to Neon Green’s frontman, Tyler Glenn, he describes the album as a colorful collection of songs that came from a time when he was most vulnerable. Back in April, this singer came out to Rolling Stone magazine after years of speculation about his sexuality. What could have been a dark record ended up becoming a celebration of life. And last night at the Phoenix, Glenn and his bandmates (Chris Allen, Branden Campbell, and Elaine Bradley) defiantly came out slaying.

Neon Trees covered a range of material that included songs from their previous albums (2010’s Habits and 2012’s Picture Show) but majority of the setlist featured their latest record. Most times fans rather hear older songs than new; however, the crowd gave their seal of approval by singing loudly and dancing for songs like “Love In The 21st Century”, “Teenager in Love”, and “Sleeping with a Friend”. Glenn thanks the crowd for their love. He remembers Neon Tree’s early Canadian shows where they would be performing to about 80 people. Now seeing the crowd know the words to their new music, he realized that maybe Canada has finally accepted them. In honor of that, Glenn asked the crowd to sing “O Canada” while their tour keyboardist (and fellow Canadian) plays.

As the show continued, Neon Trees surely did not disappoint. Glenn’s performance was bold while his voice was smooth like butter. His unapologetic confidence mixed with his killer strut was incomparable. Before performing “Living In Another World”, Glenn inspired the crowd with a speech about being yourself and finding happiness. He is proud to say that he’s mentally well-adjusted and this song (“Living In Another World”) represents his new found appreciation on life.

At the Pop Psychology Tour, Neon Trees shows why loving pop music can be a good thing. If I had to recommend a list of shows to catch this summer, this tour would be it.