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Concert Mon May 24 2010
Review: Metric @ The Vic, 5/20/10
Photo by Will Rice, found through the Gapers Block Transmission Flickr Pool. Check out more of Will's beautiful photos of Metric over on his site.
Against a backdrop of violent pops of light and the fuzz of feedback, Canadian indie rockers Metric took over The Vic last week to charm a sold out crowd with a set comprised primarily of their critically acclaimed 2009 album Fantasies.
Not that this was a bad thing. Fantasies is a beautiful album as evident by their set, which showcased the crystal clear vocals of lead singer Emily Haines.The band kicked off the night with the soft thump of "Twilight Galaxy," a slow burn that started a bit muddled, but cleared up right away with the entrance of Haines, her soft voice ringing all the way to the rafters. Awkwardly jerking and jumping on massive heels, Haines voice never missed a beat, sounding almost identical to the recorded version of each song. The lights begin to flicker in tempo as the pace picked up and the band launched into "Satellite Mind," a sultry new wave infused track that brought out the strobe lights in full force. The music itself is heavy and intense, but add in seizure inducing lights and you've got a show that walks a fine line between mesmerizing and sensory overload.
The heavy continued with "Front Row," one of the grittiest songs off the slick and polished Fantasies. Haines was adorable as she stalked the front of the stage, clearly singing specifically to the subject matter of the song. At times Haines seemed a bit awkward on such a large stage, but overall was charming and engaging. Crowd favorite "Help I'm Alive" got a warm reception, and once again perfectly polished, sounding almost identical to the album version. This trend continued on one of my favorite tracks off Fantasies, "Collect Call," which was just as bittersweet and heartbreaking live as the first time I heard it.
Not letting the pace drop too much, they went right into the spastic "Gold Guns Girls" and followed up with a full audience clap along on "Gimme Sympathy." The precision of Metric's live show is impressive, from the tight instrumentation and clear vocals, to the steady pace and synced up lighting, the band has perfected their style, delivering a clean and fresh live show. Not shocking since their set list for the tour seems to be almost identical every show, but like the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. As Haines bounced around the stage, leading the crowd in chant during the massive sounding "Stadium Love" you can clearly see nothing is broken with this band, and they not only set an example, but raise the bar, for perfecting ones craft and art.
