Concerts Reviews
Myles Smith Brings Intimate Energy to Montreal Stop
On Saturday, the English folk-country songwriter Myles Smith came back to Montreal for the second time in 6 months as part of his We Were Never Strangers Tour. Smith rose to stardom with the release of his single Stargazing, which gathered more than 300 million streams, and in the last 16 months has gone from playing 80 people shows in his hometown of Luton, England, to selling out the main venues all over Europe and America, quickly becoming one of the main faces of his genre. But even with his swift rise to superstardom, you can tell Myles is savoring every moment and is extremely grateful for every single person that connects with his music.
To start off the night, Tors opened up the stage. It was the English trio’s first time in Montreal and it was the perfect way to warm up for Myles Smith. Their harmonic folk sat great with the crowd, as they played some of their biggest hits like Miracle and I Don’t Wanna Know.
During their set, the brothers constantly joked around. Talking about how Myles Smith had this great production, beautiful lights and amazing musicians, “And here, we spend all of our budget on this giant printed QR code”, Matt Weedon laughed as he pointed to left side of the stage and asked the crowd to scan the code to hear all about their upcoming shows.
Before ending their set, they thanked the 514 crowd and mentioned how much fun Montreal had been that day. With him eating 3 servings of poutine, and his brother Theo’s constant failed attempts to flirt in French right before the show.
At 9PM, the background music stopped and the lights went down. Instead of Myles Smith jumping on stage though, we got a member of his team getting on the mic. “I don’t know if any of you saw his instagram, but Myles has been battling a very nasty food poisoning since yesterday.”. You could feel the tension immediately flooding the room as our first thoughts were “Oh no… he’s gonna cancel the show.”. But the guy on the mic felt that energy and immediately said “Guys, don’t worry! Show’s not cancelled guys!”. Then he told the Montreal crowd how Myles was powering through it and he needed the crowd’s energy more than he ever did on this tour. And if I know anything about the people of Montreal at the end of April, weather warming up after an absolute brutal winter, is: yeah… we got energy.
Around 9:05 Myles Smith jumped onstage and following his tradition of wearing a local team’s jersey, was rocking a Montreal Canadiens jersey.
That was the perfect way to immediately win the sold out crowd over. Considering the Habs had just secured a spot in the NHL playoffs literally the night before.
The set started with Wait For You. The anthem-like melodies got the crowd immediately jumping and stomping the ground. Smith couldn’t stop smiling (even considering his illness) hearing the entire venue sing every single word of the song, a pattern that would continue throughout the night.
After the first song, we got a very nice interaction with him and a fan. They brought a beautiful pencil drawing of Myles, framed in black to give to him. He got down the stage and grabbed it, thanking them and shouting to the crowd: “How incredible is this?!”
The set was followed by Behind and Whisper, with him switching between the mic and an acoustic guitar in between.
Throughout the night, the show felt like a party between friends, with Smith sharing stories and intimate conversations that he had with his mother right before leaving on tour. “My mom said: – I remember when you were just this tiny little bundle just pissing and soiling yourself everywhere, and now you’re a 26 year old man about to go on a world tour. I couldn’t be more proud of you son.” Again, it seems like all the little things about growing up and how crazy his life is now, are absolutely not lost on him.
On paper, the 14 song set wasn’t a long one, but it didn’t really feel that way. You could definitely tell he left it all out there on the stage. Especially during his last song: Stargazing. The song that changed his career and life forever. Myles jumped off the stage and fully into the middle of the crowd, where he danced and sang with the Montreal crowd.
The ending felt like a high school house party in the best way. Myles Smith fully pulled out the veil between artist and fan, as he became just one more person on the dance floor. A man, away from home, dancing with a bunch of his friends. The only difference between him and the other 2,300 souls at the venue: He just just happened to write the song everyone was vibing to.
Check out our favourites photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
MYLES SMITH
TORS
All Photo Credit: Andres Amaya
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Goldfinger Keep the Pit Moving and the Shoes Flying in Vancouver
On April 17th, the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver felt like a ska-punk time warp, with California punk legends Goldfinger supporting their new album, Nine Lives.
Sullvn got things rolling with a set that didn’t waste any time. Within minutes, hats were flying into the crowd like it was a merch-based game show, and the vibe quickly turned into organized chaos. They brought to the stage Dicky Barrett, former frontman of Mighty Mighty Bosstones for their hit “Raise a Glass”.
Next up was Broadway Calls, proving once again that a three-piece can absolutely shake a room. Their brand of fast, hooky punk tore through the crowd, with songs like “Call It Off” and “Back to Oregon” landing like instant jolts of energy. By the time they wrapped, the room was fully ready for Goldfinger.
Right away, frontman John Feldmann started doing crowd math. “How many of you are under 20?” A few scattered hands. “Over 40?” A lot more hands. He laughed and proudly stated that to still be doing this 32 years later as the best feeling in the world. This wasn’t a band clinging to nostalgia… but they also weren’t about to ignore it.
From there, it turned into the kind of chaos Goldfinger shows are known for, a non-stop blur of songs, crowd surfers, and, of course, the sacred tradition of shoes flying through the air. Somewhere along the way, footwear stopped being optional and started being part of the performance. Pairs were held up like trophies, launched across the room, or lost to the pit entirely. If you managed to leave with both shoes still accounted for, honestly, that’s a personal victory. The setlist leaned into exactly what people wanted. “Here in Your Bedroom,” “Chasing Amy” “Counting the Days”, all the hits, all loud, all sung back at the band like it was a group project. The floor barely stayed still for more than a few seconds, and the security team definitely got their steps in from the steady stream of crowd surfers.
During “Mable,” they pulled fans up on stage to dance, turning the whole thing into a slightly chaotic, very wholesome party. And then… “Superman.” The reaction was instant. Like, no hesitation, full-body nostalgia. The second it started, it felt like half the room got mentally transported back to playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 in their living rooms. Suddenly, everyone knew every word (even the ones they probably didn’t know they knew), and the energy somehow went up another level. It wasn’t just a highlight, it was the moment.
When it wrapped at the Commodore Ballroom, the place was wrecked in the best way – sweaty, shoeless, and buzzing. Still, no one seemed in any hurry to leave.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
GOLDFINGER
BROADWAY CALLS
SULLVN
All Photo Credit: Heather Horncastle
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Face to Face with Sevendust in Riverside, Iowa
For close to thirty years, Hard Rock’s Sevendust has graced hundreds of stages all over the world, playing sell-out shows to rabid fans. The band, fronted by LaJon Witherspoon, has been recognized for its soulful vocals, hard-hitting riffs from Clint Lowery and John Connolly, thumping bass from Vince Hornsby, and monstrous drum sounds and screams from Morgan Rose. Riverside, Iowa was treated to the full Sevendust experience on Friday night.
The Riverside Casino Event Center has played host to events ranging from poker tournaments to keynote speakers, but on Friday it served as the setting for an amazing night of rock. The show started off with Iowa City–local band NonGrata. NonGrata has become very well known in the Eastern Iowa music scene, having opened for bands like Alien Ant Farm, Norma Jean, Archers, and will be opening for DED this summer. Blending groovy guitars with crisp clean vocals and harsh screams, the band delivers a sound that makes you want to jump out of your seat and stage dive. Although Sevendust was the main attraction on Friday night, everyone enjoyed NonGrata. They were a great choice to open the show and get people excited before Sevendust took the stage. NonGrata will be playing shows in Eastern Iowa throughout the year, and Midwest locals should take the chance to see a new band.
After an hour pre-show delay due to the weather, fans were itching to get out of their seats as anticipation for Sevendust taking the stage rose. Riverside was the second show of the One Tour, but there was no sign of early tour woes as the band broke right into Home. The 1999 track off the album of the same name was a great opener, carrying a hint of nostalgia and a whole lot of feeling. Witherspoon made an early effort to cross from side to side, ensuring every fan had the opportunity to interact with him. Stage presence is always among the highlights of a Sevendust show. Fans know they are going to get two things when they go to a Sevendust show: amazing music and plenty of interaction. The great music kept rolling as the second track of the night was a crowd favorite, Denial. The band was joined by hundreds of backup singers who knew every word, creating an ambiance that added essential energy to the environment.
The band seemed emotional in response to how well they were received by the Riverside crowd. After spending significant time in Europe to start the year, Sevendust said it was good to be home. Because these were among the first U.S. shows of the year, American fans had not yet had the opportunity to hear songs from the band’s upcoming album, One, live. The first chance came with the third song of the night, Is This the Real You. Although the Riverside crowd had never heard the song live, that did not stop them from singing along. Sevendust also played two other new tracks from the forthcoming album, Unbreakable and Threshold. Both sounded great live, and anticipation for the new album is high. Based on the reactions to the new material, the album will likely be well received when it comes out in two weeks on May 1.
The focus on new music did not stop Sevendust from breaking into its classics. The setlist was full of songs a Sevendust show would be incomplete without; Praise, Enemy, Waffle, and Black all had their place in the night. It truly was the complete Sevendust experience. The night could not end, however, without an encore of Rumble Fish and Face to Face. Even though the crowd was treated to a 15-song main set and a two-song encore, they still yearned for more. Unfortunately, all good shows must come to an end, but with 25 dates left on the One Tour, there will be plenty of opportunities to see Sevendust again this year.
One comes out May 1.
Check out our favorite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming tour dates:
4/20 – Indianapolis, IN
4/21 – Lexington, KY
4/22 – Birmingham, AL
4/24 – Mobile, AL
4/25 – Destin, FL
4/26 – Atlanta, GA (supporting Alter Bridge)
4/28 – Dallas, TX
4/29 – Oklahoma City, OK
More information on the band’s website.
SEVENDUST
NONGRATA
All Photo Credit: Ryan Renger