By Erik Casarez
In the 2000s, countless up-and-coming bands flooded New York City bars and clubs with their unique aesthetic and sound, establishing it as the epicenter of indie rock. Around the same time north of the border, a parallel music scene was blossoming in Toronto that continues to thrive a quarter of a century later. The All The Feelings Tour that kicked off in Austin at the Moody Amphitheater last month showcased this community with bands including Stars, Broken Social Scene, and Metric.
The tour is a culmination of the work of these three bands whose rotating members all grew up together in Toronto and consider each other family. The tour is described by Live Nation as “not so much as a comeback, but a reunion.”
Stars
Stars opened the show. This band has spent the better part of a quarter century cultivating a sound that blends somber melodies with catchy hooks. Audience members were not just listening to a performance, they were enveloped in the experience almost as if it was the climax of a coming-of-age film.
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene followed with their brand of atmospheric instrumentation interspersed with vocals. I was reminded of a jam band that falls in love with a melody and plays it over and over, but keeps it fresh. The performance featured the live debut of “Paying for Your Love.” It was so new to the setlist, that frontman Kevin Drew had to restart when he realized he forgot his capo.
The various rosters feature some of the most talented people in Canada, including Leslie Feist of Feist, Lisa Lopsinger of Reverie Sound Revue, as well as All the Feelings tour mates Amy Milan of Stars and Emily Haines of Metric. The latter two joined the band for performances of “Hey Amanda” and the dreamy “Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl”.
Metric
The band’s light display matched the aura of their music, and the sun setting as Metric took the stage was no exception. The band opened with the single “Victim of Luck” off their tenth and most recent album Romanticize the Dive. The set was a retrospective of their decades-long discography as they mixed recent material with older songs. They were joined by members of both Broken Social Scene and Stars for the live debut of the song “Loyal.”
Metric closed out their set with their first major hit “Combat Baby.” The song sounded as great now as it did 20 years ago. After a short break, the band brought the show to an end with an encore that included “Help, I’m Alive” and the generation-defining “Black Sheep.” It’s no surprise that Metric ended their show with their most popular song made famous by the movie Scott Pilgrim vs the World, a touchstone millennial film thatpays homage to the Toronto music scene. The entire show was a perfect kickoff.