Said The Whale’s Hometown Lovefest: A Cozy Night in Vancouver

On Saturday, March 8th, Vancouver’s own Said The Whale rocked the Hollywood Theatre
for a packed hometown show. The show had a comforting and cozy atmosphere as
dedicated fans, coined “SaidHeads”, friends and family showed up to support the band.

Indie rock group Said The Whale are no strangers to the Canadian music scene. The band
formed in 2007, released seven studio albums, won a Juno Award, and performed with the
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. The current lineup of the band consists of Tyler Bancroft,
Ben Worcester, Jaycelyn Brown, Spencer Schoening and Lincoln Hotchen.

At around 8:15, the band took to the stage to thank the audience for coming. They then
moved into short acoustic sets by individual band members Jaycelyn, Ben and Tyler.
“We’ve been a band for 20 years and this is the first time all three of us have ever performed solo” said Ben Worcester. Each member expressed their nerves, with a few minor slip-ups but
quickly laughed them off. It was a true showcase of each of the member’s songwriting
abilities and a chance to hear some deep-cuts and songs performed for the first time.

Around 9:15, Tyler concluded his acoustic set by playing “This City’s A Mess”. Slowly each member of the band took to the stage and began their set as a full band.

It was a unique show as the band put out a survey months prior letting fans vote on which
songs to be put on the setlist. The band explained how it was exciting and nerve-racking for
them as a lot of the songs they almost never play or are hard to sing. It was a fun environment as the band would occasionally slip up, laughing it off and often bantering back and forth with the audience. It was great learning the inspiration of Bancroft and Worcester’s songwriting and how many of the the tunes came to be.

The musicianship was tight, with each of the members getting their moment to shine.
Particularly drummer Spencer Schoening showed his expertise on the kit with many tasteful
drum fills throughout the night. He even got out from behind the kit, singing and playing
guitar performing to the audience.

As the night was coming to a close, Bancroft took out a ukelele from a case and the band
performed “Goodnight Moon” It was a great song to finish off the night with a slow start to
picking up with a singalong at the end. The band thanked the audience and explained they
would be mingling after the show with fellow fans, friends and family.

Said The Whale has won over a passionate Vancouver fanbase. Not to mention all the die
hard “Saidheads” that travel from all around to see the band perform. The band provides a
intimate and comforting environment as their shows audience comprises a lot of their friends
and family. Their music was raw with great lyricism. Refreshing in a time when a lot of music
can be overproduced and sounding the same.

The band hasn’t released an album since their 2021 release Dandelion, but its “Safe To Say”
Said The Whale fans are excited for whatever is to come next for the Vancouver indie group.

Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

All Photo Credit: Hunter Soo