Concerts Reviews
Still Loud, Still Raw: Jet Takes Off in Montreal
It was a very different world the last time the Aussie band Jet played in Montreal. I, for one, was living in Mexico in the late 2000s, just preparing to go to college, my life constantly changing as I went through the motions of growing up. One constant? My first-gen iPod, always plugged into my ears, with Jet on heavy rotation.
Now, 20 years later, they finally returned to the city ahead of their first album release since 2009.
Opening the show was Band of Skulls from England, a true heavy hitter who more than warmed up the crowd. The English band, also formed in the early 2000s, is currently helmed by Russell Marsden. Their grungy garage rock was the perfect way to kick off a night full of heavy riffs and raspy vocals. They played to a quickly filling venue, treating the audience to fan favourites like “Sweet Sour” and “Something.”
Personally, I was especially enthralled by Marsden’s performance. He headbanged through riffs, darted across the stage, and rarely interacted with the crowd, not in a bad way though. You could see how lost he gets in his own world while playing music, and that kind of immersion radiated energy that was truly something to behold. It was my first time seeing them live and I enjoyed it so much that I went straight to the merch booth after their set.
At 9:00 PM, the P.A. music cut out and the Olympia crowd erupted, horn signs in the air, as the Australian natives walked onto the stage, each with a big smile. Last on was Nic Cester, rocking a white shirt, black-and-white striped pants, and brown boots to match his iconic Gibson guitar. He strolled to center stage, lowball glass in hand (likely whiskey), took a sip, put it down, picked up his guitar, and kicked off the set with Get Born’s opener: the iconic “Last Chance.”
Heavy riffs filled the venue alongside Cester’s signature raspy vocals. It was genuinely stunning how sharp and powerful he sounded, more than 20 years after the album’s release. Next came “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” from their second album Shine On, a song that starts slow and builds toward a ferocious, howling chorus.
The night roared on with “She’s a Genius” and “Get What You Need.” The band was incredibly tight, clearly seasoned pros delivering pure rock and roll with every beat, riff, and bassline. About halfway through, they played my personal favourite, “Black Hearts (On Fire).” The chorus explodes with raw power. Back in 2010, this was my alarm clock song. I needed that punch to wake up after too many drinks and a 7 a.m. class. Hearing it live was surreal. By the time the last riff rang out, I thought, Anything else from here is just gravy.
After a few more songs from Get Born, the pace slowed down with the anthemic “Bring It On Back,” followed by the ballad “Look What You’ve Done,” a song about emotional pain and betrayal. It showcased the band’s range beyond their usual grungy sound.
But just in case we forgot this was a rock show, they launched into their most famous song: “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.” Back in 2006, this song was everywhere: radio, MP3 players, TV. The crowd responded accordingly.
Before heading offstage, they closed the main set with the explosive “Cold Hard Bitch,” another fan favourite that had the entire room shouting every word alongside Cester. After a short break, he returned alone to address the crowd.
He thanked everyone for spending the night with them after two decades away from Montreal. “We owe it all to you. Thank you. We love you,” he said, before performing a gorgeous acoustic version of “Shine On.”
He followed with a more bluesy acoustic number, “Move On,” also from Get Born. Midway through, the band rejoined him, adding texture as Cameron Muncey layered in electric guitar flourishes and Mark Wilson played the harmonica.
Finally, to cap off the night, they gave us one last song, a cover of AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ’n’ Roll).” It was the perfect send-off for a set that had been 20 years in the making.
It was truly special to witness one of the great rock bands of the early 2000s, from the same era when The White Stripes, The Vines, and The Hives ruled the indie rock world. Jet had been a “bucket list band” for me, one I never thought I’d get to cross off.
Here’s to not waiting another 20 years to see them again.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
JET
BAND OF SKULLS
All Photo Credit: Andres Amaya
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Jimmy Eat World Brings Bleed American Back to Life in Vancouver
There are some concerts you go to with no idea what you’re going to get. A 25th anniversary tour built around one of the best albums out there is not one of them. You know the songs, the order, exactly when the big moments are coming ; the only real question is whether the band can make those songs feel as alive as they did the first time you heard them. Jimmy Eat World had no trouble answering that question.
On July 19, the Arizona rock band finally returned to the Vancouver area for the first time since 2017, bringing the Bleed American 25th Anniversary Tour to the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. It had been a long wait, and the packed room made it clear that fans had not forgotten what they had been waiting for.
Motion City Soundtrack opened the night, giving the crowd a strong dose of early-2000s nostalgia before Jimmy Eat World took the stage. It was a fitting pairing. Both bands came of age during a period when alternative rock, pop-punk and emo could still find a home on mainstream radio, and both have built careers that outlasted the era that first made them famous.
For me, though, the night carried a more personal weight for a different reason: this was my first time seeing Jimmy Eat World live. After more than three decades as a band, and nearly a decade since their last Vancouver appearance, the fact that it took until 2026 for me to finally see them live made the wait feel even more significant.
Jimmy Eat World began the evening with songs from Clarity, their 1999 breakthrough album, including “Clarity,” “Your New Aesthetic,” “Blister,” and “Lucky Denver Mint.” It was a smart choice. The band could have gone straight into Bleed American and given everyone exactly what they came for, but those opening songs made a point: Jimmy Eat World did not suddenly become a great band in 2001. They had already been doing this for years.
Then they switched to “Bleed American,” and the stage itself transformed. A large wall that had kept the full production hidden from view moved aside, revealing the expanded Bleed American stage setup behind it. The lighting rig opened up across the width of the stage, giving the band a much bigger canvas for the album that had changed their career. It was a smart bit of theatre without feeling overproduced.
The album was performed from beginning to end, and hearing it in sequence made one thing very clear: Bleed American is an unusually complete record. The obvious hits are there, but so are the songs that tend to get pushed aside when a band is working with a limited setlist.
“A Praise Chorus” remains an absolute rush. “The Middle,” one of JEW‘s biggest and most recognizable hits, turned the venue into a massive singalong. “Sweetness” took that energy even further, with thousands of people shouting every “whoa-oh” back at the stage. “Get It Faster” brought the aggression. “Your House” offered one of the night’s more affecting moments. And “Hear You Me” remains one of those songs that can stop you in your tracks, even after you’ve heard it hundreds of times.
The beauty of hearing Bleed American played from start to finish is getting the full picture. The album has explosive highs, quieter emotional moments and everything in between. Songs that don’t always get the spotlight in a regular setlist suddenly have room to breathe.
Jim Adkins remains a compelling frontman, delivering these songs with the same sincerity that made them work in the first place. Tom Linton’s guitar playing was sharp and energetic, while Rick Burch and Zach Lind continued to provide the steady foundation that has held this band together for more than three decades.
There was no sense that the band was simply going through the motions of an anniversary tour. They looked like they were having fun and so did the fans.
That crowd was one of the best parts of the night. Fans who discovered Bleed American when it was released stood beside younger listeners who weren’t even alive when the album came out. Everybody seemed to know the words.
The main set ended with “My Sundown,” bringing the album to its quiet conclusion before the band briefly left the stage.
Jimmy Eat World returned for a five-song encore that moved beyond Bleed American, opening with “Disintegration” and continuing through “Pain,” “For Me This Is Heaven” and “(Splash) Turn Twist” before closing with “23.” It was a fitting reminder that Bleed American may have been the record that changed the band’s career, but it is only one piece of a catalog that has kept giving fans reasons to stick around.
Twenty-five years after Bleed American changed everything for the band, these songs haven’t become museum pieces. They’re very much still capable of making a room full of people lose their voices.
And after waiting nine years to see Jimmy Eat World back in Vancouver, I can say this with complete confidence: it was worth the wait.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming Tour Dates:
July 22 –– Sandy, UT –– Sandy Amphitheater
July 24 –– Concord, CA –– Toyota Pavilion at Concord
July 25-26 –– Long Beach, CA –– Vans Warped Tour
August 14 –– Halifax, UK –– The Piece Hall
August 15 –– Cardiff, UK –– Cardiff Castle
August 16 –– London, UK –– Gunnersbury Park
August 22 –– Montreal, QC –– Vans Warped Tour
August 23 –– Toronto, ON –– RBC Amphitheatre
September 6 –– Phoenix, AZ –– Chase Field, supporting My Chemical Romance
September 9 –– Austin, TX –– Moody Amphitheater
September 10 –– Dallas, TX –– The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
September 12-13 –– Mexico City, MX –– Vans Warped Tour
November 12 –– Nashville, TN –– TBA
November 14 –– Tampa, FL –– MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
November 14-15 –– Orlando, FL –– Vans Warped Tour
More information here.
JIMMY EAT WORLD
MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: Screaming All Around Me – Flyleaf Live in Silver Spring
What started as a string of festival appearances over the past few years has turned into a reunion tour over a decade in the making. When Lacey Sturm left Flyleaf in 2012, it left an enormous hole in one of the defining bands of the 2000s. The band continued touring with a new vocalist while Sturm took some time off, eventually returning to the stage with her solo project. In 2022, the band’s social media pages were reactivated, and they took to the festival circuit, with Sturm once again at the helm.
Earlier this year, the band’s self-titled album’s 20-year anniversary tour was announced to much fanfare, with thousands of likes and comments adorning the post. The tour finally reached Silver Spring and could not have come sooner. Fans filled into a sold-out Fillmore just a few miles from Our Nation’s Capital on Wednesday night for one of the shows of the summer.
The show was opened by two very capable bands. Tiny Ships, an alt-rock band native to New Jersey, took to the stage first. They brought a great sound and strong stage presence. Although they are a little rough around the edges, they will likely grow into a solid band as they gain more experience. Opening for Flyleaf on a sold-out show definitely says something about their future and gives a good indication of where their career is heading!
Ohio Christian Metalcore band Convictions played next and absolutely dominated every corner of the Fillmore’s stage. Unclean vocalist Michael Felker made his way from side to side with what seemed to be the goal of screaming in the face of every front row fan. The band has a very gritty sound that just makes you want to jump twenty feet in the air and then go for ten-mile run through the desert. They played a ten-song set and really stole the show. If Flyleaf was not headlining, the band would easily be the best band on any bill they open for. I would not be surprised if the band is earning some prominent festival slots and headlining their own sold-out shows soon. Check Convictions out if they are playing a show near you. You won’t regret it!
After the extreme adrenaline of Convictions started to wear down, the energy picked right back up as Sturm and crew made their way onto the stage. It is very common for some fans who came for the openers to leave early when the headliner comes out, but not a single person left the venue early on Wednesday night. They were all there to relive the songs of their teenage angst years all over again.
After a preshow prayer from Sturm, drawing on her religious roots, the set started right off with a bang of a back-to-back dosing of “In the Dark and Chasm.” It is a lucky thing that I wear really good earplugs at shows, or else I might have some hearing damage from how loud the screams were inside the Fillmore. Sturm commanded the crowd with a masterful control. Every movement she made was followed by thousands of eyes awaiting the next great moment on an already amazing evening.
The crowd’s voice was warmed up by the time Sturm requested some participation on Fire Fire. The 2012 track from the band’s last release with Sturm was a huge favorite and a big highlight from the early part of the set. “Cassie,” “Freedom,” and “Stand” filled out the ending part of the first half of the show. Even though the show was half over, it seemed to just be kicking into gear.
The back half of the night was filled with all the songs that a Flyleaf show would be incomplete without. “Cage on the Ground” kicked off the second half, followed by “This Close” and “Saving Grace.” It was extremely hard to hear the bass of Pat Seals, or the guitars of Sameer Bhattacharya and Jared Hartmann with how much the crowd participation filled the venue with noise. James Culpepper’s drums cut right through the noise though and gave a thumping kick to keep the Fillmore on beat.
“Fully Alive” started to signal that the show was unfortunately close to an end which was met with calls for the night to never end. After a sermon from Sturm following “I’m So Sick,” the band launched into one of the most defining songs in rock music, “All Around Me.” The bumping chorus juxtaposed with the soft and sweet vocal melody showcase Flyleaf’s superior musical composition skills and ensured that a new generation of Flyleaf fans would be born with the large number of kids in attendance.
Overall, the show was just top notch. Sturm and Flyleaf’s reunion was well worth the wait. Unfortunately, if this review convinced you to purchase a ticket to the closest Flyleaf show, you may be out of luck as like the Fillmore, every other venue on the tour has sold out as well. Hopefully this tour was not a one-off for the band though and will lead to new music and another decade of shows around the world.
Check out our favorite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
FLYLEAF
All Photo Credit: Ryan Renger