It’s nice that Metric seem to care about their hometown. Though only half the band actually has ties to Toronto, the city played (and continues to play) a big part in their development and sound. As such, they’ve reciprocated in kind and stopped by nearly every room in the city – selling out spaces such as the Sound Academy, Opera House, Molson Amphitheatre, and Air Canada Centre in recent years.
In celebration of the release of their latest studio album – sixth effort Pagans in Vegas – Metric announced a last minute, surprise show at the Danforth Music Hall. Tickets sold out quickly to the affair, though fans had other chances to get their hands on a pair by following clues through the band’s social media channels. They also set aside a block of tickets to fans who lined up early wearing animal masks: as a result, the jammed crowd in the venue was quite the sight.
Beyond the animal masks – which the four band members donned themselves when they first appeared on stage – the carnival-esque was amplified even further, Emily Haines taking ‘Vegas’ literally with her initial Celine Dion-worthy getup of a large light-up back piece.
Understandably, the band spent much of their Danforth show debuting new material from Pagans in Vegas. Eight of their 15 tracks were lifted from the new album. In fact – basically everything was new-era Metric, opting to forgo their earlier discography in favour of songs from 2009 and beyond.
Despite Pagans in Vegas’ relative new-ness, the audience already seemed well versed in Metric’s latest synth pop offerings. Their new album sees them embracing the 80’s more than ever before, drawing early comparisons to New Order. It’s a far cry from their initial offerings. Gone is the grit and sinister slithers; in its place are drum machine beats, robotic vocals (heard very evidently on “Cascades”), and new wave keys.
Their foray into electronics hasn’t gone unnoticed. It’s alienated some of their early fan base but brought a much broader audience in its place. And I say that from a personal place.
Metric was a band I spent a lot of my high school years with. I loved Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (2003) and Live It Out (2005). It was Emily Haines and company that introduced me to Toronto’s vibrant indie scene. I’ve followed them closely in the years since. While Fantasies (2009) wasn’t my favourite, Synthetica (2012) was a grower. I approached their show with a strong sense of nostalgia for the band I once knew and an appreciation for the inevitable giant things to come.
So I say all that as a caveat. From my first few listens, I have to admit: I don’t like Pagans in Vegas. But I can understand what they’re going for and how well it will serve them for the 2016 festival season. It’s pretty apparent from their new light show and Haines’ flowing, neon green cape that they’re already thinking ahead to it.
Thankfully they sounded great. For all the gimmicks they can throw at their crowd (including light up glasses donned during the aforementioned “Cascades”), strip it all away and guitarist Jimmy Shaw still absolutely demolishes everything and everyone with his guitar– liberally present on older tracks like “Black Sheep” and “Gold Guns Girls”. It’s clear, too, that they’ve spent a lot of time as a band going over the new material and getting it down. Despite Shaw’s promise that they’ll “work on it”, following the live debut of his lead vocal track “Other Side”, Metric (rounded out by drummer Joules Scott-Key and bassist Joshua Winstead) sounded well rehearsed and comfortable with all the recent offerings.
Haines, as per usual, was the focal point and engaged with her audience a number of times – often making grand but elusive statements that fell somewhere between Bono and St. Vincent on the banter scale. She talked of how we’re all animals and of staying true to one’s self. She spoke of time, greed, envy, boredom, vanity, and anger. She also let the crowd know they were the very first to hear it – though, as usual, it was the older material that drew the loudest cheers.
“Collect Call” was a surprise partway through the setlist – the Fantasies track last played in 2010 and providing a softer offering. “Synthetica” boomed in its own regard, playing well and doing its job to rile up the crowd, Haines introducing the number by explaining: “Whoever has the most fun wins.”
If we’re measuring fun, it’s obvious Metric have an ear for it. While I’ll forever argue that if you’re going to go to a Metric show, you need to catch them early (they have a tendency to fall into formulaic, predictable patterns as album tours go on), it seems that the Pagans offerings will serve them well for larger stages and festival slots thanks to all its accompanying popped-out glitz.
As the Toronto band ended their hour-and-a-half long set with Pagans’ “Celebrate” – bursting confetti over the crowd as bubbles streamed out overhead – they’ll always be the band I initially fell in love with. I’ll just have to share them with more and more people while crossing my fingers they don’t forget about the strengths of their earlier releases. It’s been nice to see the band come so far but remember to pay their dues to the forever supportive city that bred them.
