Photographs by Katrina Wong Shue.
The Air Canada Centre played host to an evening of quintessential Canadian pop music on Tuesday evening when Marianas Trench brought their Never Say Die Tour to Toronto. Warming up the crowd was 604 Records label mate Kieran Mercer bringing a soulful flare to the lineup. All the while Walk of the Earth dominated with their boundless upbeat tunes and numerous instrument changes, including their breakout single guitar cover of “Somebody I Used to Know”.
It was the room full of “Trenchers” though who eagerly awaited their beloved headliners to take the stage. The pre-show soundtrack blasted 1980’s hits through the speakers as a precursor for the clear 80’s homage that would be the band’s focus for the evening. The Vancouver four-piece entered to a simple stage set-up in full costume, including lead singer Josh Ramsay’s dramatic eye make-up and tiny leather vest barely attempting to cover his shirtless body (a look that would continue for the rest of the show). While neon palm trees adorned the screens along the back of the stage, zebra pants, fringed jackets, and the appearance of a keytar during “Yesterday” transported the youthful crowd to another era.
With a career now spanning over ten years, it was surprising to see the set list leaning heavily on their more recent catalogue. Marianas Trench are currently touring in support of their latest album Astoria which was released late-2015, with many of the tracks embracing a throwback feel. The set list itself was bookended with the first and last track from the release, while including obvious crowd favourites from previous albums such as “Celebrity Status”, “All to Myself”, and the sing-along worthy “Cross My Heart” from 2010’s breakout album Masterpiece Theatre.
After all these years, Marianas Trench still consistently put on impressive live performances. With Ramsay’s clear showmanship and the entire band’s harmonies, the underlying talent beneath the flash and flare is clear. Ramsay’s vocals in particular are unique and wide ranging with his stamina fully on display as he strutted the stage and even donned a harness for acrobatics high above the crowd during “Stutter”. Not to mention also braving the crowd of adoring teenage fans to make his way to the secondary stage hosting a baby grand piano. As the venue filled with the stripped down sound of their latest single, “One Love” it’s clear that Marianas Trench will continue to reign supreme with their brand of cheeky, endearing pop music.
