Canadian alternative rock band Metric took to the Bronson Centre stage on Monday night to play their most iconic album for Ottawa fans.
The show was part of a retrospective tribute to the band’s Polaris-nominated, Juno-award-winning 2009 album Fantasies. The record was Metric’s best-selling release ever and included some of their highest charting songs.
Ottawa wasn’t originally a stop in Metric’s tour itinerary, as they were set to do a co-headlining tour with British band Bloc Party in other major North American cities. This fell apart, with Metric stating that “Bloc Party’s team made sudden production decisions that broke the agreement we’d made, which left us unable to continue despite our best efforts to find a solution.”
Metric didn’t cancel their Toronto show, and instead added Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa as “surprise” stops on their own mini-tour.
The Ottawa show, in particular, had an intimate feeling. The Bronson Centre is the smallest of the four Canadian venues on the band’s short tour, and it was also the only one without an opening act. The show instantly sold out when tickets hit the market, and fans lined up all around the venue well before the doors opened.
The show started at 8:30 on the dot. The lights went out, and drummer Joules Scott-Key delivered the opening beat to Help I’m Alive. His drumkit was adorned with the butterfly logo from the single cover that became synonymous with Fantasies. He was soon joined by the rest of the band to play what has been the band’s highest charting track on the Canadian Hot 100.
Following the Help I’m Alive opener, Metric played through the rest of Fantasies. The songs Sick Muse and Gold Guns Girls really got the crowd jumping, with the latter featuring an extended guitar solo outro.
The lighting was simple but effective throughout the show. The colour palette saw lots of reds and whites, fitting for a Canadian band. With some of their synth-driven music, though, Metric utilized light blues and vibrant pinks.
The sound felt a bit raw at points, with lead singer Emily Haines’ vocals occasionally getting drowned out by the loud instrumentation. Still, the energy of her performance kept things on track.
One highlight was the performance of Blindness, a track from the Fantasies album they rarely play. Haines told the crowd she was excited to perform it because of current events.
“The lyrics are all about that feeling when you know there’s something you need to look at and you just can’t and you don’t,” Haines said. “Sometimes it’s political, sometimes it’s in yourself.”
She added: “Whether it’s in the news, which is like, oh my god, or in myself or in my life, I just felt like this really resonated.”
Fantasies concludes with Stadium Love, an aptly named song, as it’s one that’s meant to get roars from the crowd. Even after it was done, the audience continued singing the “millennial whoop” of the song’s infectious chorus.
After revisiting Fantasies, Metric hit fans with other hits on top of hits. They breezed through classics like Youth Without Youth, Dead Disco and Monster Hospital, expertly using transitions to make these tracks feel like one continuous song.
With their heavy guitar riffs, funky synths and anthemic choruses that echoed through the Bronson Centre, nobody would doubt the fact that Metric did indeed rock that night in the capital.
After a selection of roaring tunes, Haines and guitarist James Shaw met at centre stage to play a stripped-back version of their hit Breathing Underwater. Haines made sure to show her appreciation for Shaw, who co-founded the band with her in 1998.
“It’s great to spend all these years making music together, man,” Haines said to Shaw. “I’m the luckiest girl, I’m a victim of luck.”
Metric closed out the night with Black Sheep, their most-streamed song on Spotify. The track was originally recorded during the Fantasies album cycle, but was cut from the final product. It eventually saw the light of day when it was used in the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, in a scene featuring a band inspired by Metric.
Interestingly, Metric did not play an encore, something that has become a custom at shows like these. A majority of the crowd stayed behind, chanting for the band to come back on stage before the venue’s overhead lights turned on.
Still, Metric performed an 18-song songlist that exemplified why they are a treasured band for many Canadians. The Ottawa fans who danced, sang and chanted throughout the night showcased how much love the city has for the band.
“You [expletive] rock”, one fan yelled out halfway through the set, with Haines acknowledging the love from the crowd, though she then laughed and exclaimed she didn’t quite hear exactly what he said.
With their heavy guitar riffs, funky synths and anthemic choruses that echoed through the Bronson Centre, nobody would doubt the fact that Metric did indeed rock that night in the capital.
