A stacked four-band bill rolled through Danforth Music Hall on one of the first proper spring days of the year, marked by Microwave celebrating ten years of their sophomore album Much Love. With a lineup that spanned indie rock, emo, and post-hardcore, the night felt very well curated before landing on its headliner.
Into It. Over It. opened the night with a set that felt loose yet simultaneously calculated. This was frontman Evan Weiss’ first show in Toronto in over 10 years. He kept things light and conversational between songs, and it genuinely felt like I was watching a friend’s band jam as I chilled in the corner of the room. The set gradually built toward its closer, Proper, which stood out as a singalong for its classic pop-punk “woahs” and a noticeable spike in energy from the band.
HUNNY followed with a bit of a shift in tone, leaning into a more playful, high-energy indie pop approach. Their set was full of quick hooks and interactive moments with the crowd. They opened several tracks with shouted intros to hype the room and worked in a brief interpolation of Drake’s One Dance along with a tongue-in-cheek nod to “O Canada,” which landed well with the Toronto crowd. By the time they reached Vowels, the audience was fully engaged, responding with a cheesy “A, E, I, O, U” chant that carried through the song.
The crowd was buzzing in anticipation for Anthony Green (of Circa Survive & Saosin fame). I can’t say I was familiar with any of his work, either solo or with any of his bands, leading up to this gig. That being said, I’m not sure what my expectations for his set were going into this, but I was pleasantly surprised. Anthony brought a more unpredictable energy to the stage. His band was backed by a bright horn section that was apparently a Toronto exclusive. The contrast between the instrumentation and his more unrestrained vocal delivery made for one of the night’s more unique sets. It’s hard to imagine the same set without the horns, and I hope he’s able to make them a staple for the rest of his tour. His presence was erratic but engaging, frequently moving between moments of intensity and warmth, at one point pausing the show to hug each one of his bandmates, which added a strangely wholesome counterbalance to the chaos. I’m excited to dive into his projects further.
By the time Microwave took the stage, the room had filled out and was primed for the main event. They played the entirety of Much Love in sequence, which kicked off with the slow-burning intro Roaches. When the band seamlessly transitioned into Lighterless, the crowd wasted no time before bursting out into a huge mosh pit that swept the majority of the floor. That song has such an instantly captivating vocal melody that the entire audience couldn’t help but belt at the top of their lungs.
Although I only started listening to this band recently, it was clear that the majority of those in attendance had lived and grown with this album. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and that energy sustained throughout the entire set. The full-album format never felt like it held anything back.
As the record unfolded, the pacing began to take shape. The middle stretch in particular tightened its grip on the room. By the time Vomit hit, it felt like a release point, with some of the most passionate pits and arguably the loudest singalong of the night.
Between songs, the band kept things pretty low-key, mostly letting the music speak for itself, but still mixing in a few lighter moments. Before Homebody, they joked that the song was “about making nachos with whatever you’ve got in your cupboard,” which got a real reaction from the crowd.
After closing out the album with Wrong, the set opened up. Moving away from the strict sequencing, Microwave shifted into a looser run of songs to close things out. Circling the Drain, a track from their newest album, brought a big surge in energy, pulling the crowd right back in and getting the floor moving again. Probably one of the best tunes to showcase the band’s ability to pump out bangers even after having been in the game for so long.
Later on, the two tracks from their debut Stovall were some of the most well-received of the night, and you could tell they meant a lot to the longtime fans in the room.
Overall, what stood out wasn’t just the decision to play Much Love in full, but how well it worked live. It never really felt like a nostalgia set; the songs still landed, and the crowd played just as big a role as the band. This gig solidified Microwave as some emo greats for me, and I definitely see them staying in my rotation for years to come.
Setlist:
- Much Love
- Roaches
- Lighterless
- Dull
- Neighbors
- Busy
- Drown
- Vomit
- Whimper
- Homebody
- Wrong
- Post-album set
- Keeping Up
- Georgia On My Mind
- Let’s Start Degeneracy
- Circling the Drain
- Bored of Being Sad
- Stovall
- Trash Stains
- Float to the Top
- But Not Often
Review & photos – Michael Anestopoulos
