Photos by Katrina Wong Shue
“The purpose of Metric in real life is to feel all of the feelings,” soliloquized Metric frontwoman Emily Haines after a rousing rendition of Underline the Black. It was a beautiful line, and truly emblematic of the evening as a whole.There are few better ways to spend an evening than celebrating the heart of Canadian rock with two of the masters in the scene, and local heroes to boot.
July Talk hit the stage first, and they hit it hard. The front half of the set was stacked with old stuff, the second half with tracks from their newest album, and peppered throughout were a handful of unreleased tracks – more than you’d normally see. And boy, does it have me psyched for their new record – both Pretender and Pay For It were thick, heavy jams with a ton of passion behind them.
Of course, the rest of the set was similarly stellar. Singer Peter Dreimanis’ voice is the sludgiest in the game, and the iconic dichotomy between his and singer Leah Fay’s was even more pronounced live than it is on their recorded content. The band’s reputation for being one of the highest energy live shows clearly extended to the big stadium show as well, especially apparent during crowd-favourites Summer Dress, Beck + Call, and Push + Pull. The highlight for me though was Touch, the title track from their newest album. Starting out quiet and chill, the song expanded and grew until it filled the whole room and washed over you – It was, without a doubt, one of the greatest buildups I’ve ever seen.
At the end of their set, it was hard to believe there was still so much more left in the evening – I could have easily left satisfied right then and there.
But when Metric took the stage, and it was like everything was again right in the world. Opening with the classic Dead Disco, I instantly felt something I was unable to put to words – until she did it for me part way through the show, with the quote from above. Every Metric song is a feeling, a story, an emotional journey that captures you and drags you in. Haines’ free-spirit is an infectious disease – she is an icon of liberty and independence. It’s impossible to not catch the bug when she loses herself dancing to songs like Gimme Sympathy.
With 7 albums under their belt, it’s hard to find a deep cut in a show like this, but I was very surprised to see Love Is a Place make the setlist. It’s a beautiful ballad performed with just her and guitarist James Shaw. Another highlight of the show was a lovely speech she gave just before launching into Help, I’m Alive, which she dedicated to loved ones that had passed on. Moments like these are the soul of the Metric show, and make every night with them an unforgettable experience.
To see these two incredible bands grace the Scotiabank Center was truly a treat to behold. They were just incredible, and I can only hope that they continue to receive the recognition and praise they so rightly deserve.
