Arch Echo opened the Theatre Corona to an enthusiastic crowd on Saturday as part of Haken’s ongoing North American tour. Unlike other shows on this tour, there were no local openers, as Arch Echo set the mood for the headlining progressive act. Despite having no lyrics, they still managed to energize the crowd. However, one thing the audience missed out on was seeing the Pokémon mascot (Eevee) resting on the bassist’s pedalboard. With their unique take on the Battlestar Galactica theme, it’s clear that these guys have a nerdy side.
The transition between acts was very quick, with Haken and Arch Echo sharing a few instruments and serving as their own road crew, which was different from what I’ve seen at most shows at Theatre Corona. Despite the expected downtime being half an hour, we were back to enjoying music in half that time.
When Haken took the stage after the reset, they were all wearing uniform wild fauna-themed Hawaiian shirts, which was very fitting for their Fauna Expedition tour. Haken kicked off the set with the first single from Fauna, and Ross Jennings quickly had the crowd energized. While the rest of the band seemed rooted to their spots on stage, Ross led the crowd through the different timings with ease.
Although I thought I knew some of the songs, the fake ending in Sempiternal Beings threw me off my normal count of three songs from the photo pit. The constant time changes made it feel like we had been through two or three songs in the same timeframe, but the musicians on stage blended everything expertly. One consistent theme from the Fauna songs was the idea of making the audience feel like they were floating before grounding them in heavy reality. Overall, it was an enjoyable night, and I can’t wait to see them return to Montréal.
Review & photos – Ryan Rumpel
Share this :
