If there’s any band putting in the hard yards right now, it’s New York’s Been Stellar.
Tonight is their third visit to Montreal in a little over four months, following a debut headline show at Petit Campus in January and opening that triumphant Fontaines D.C. show last October.
The huge screams that greet their arrival on stage suggest I’m not the only one who’s been living inside their debut album Scream From New York, NY, and the scuzz of the title track from that record sets things off nicely.
Frontman Sam Slocum looks decidedly Liam Gallagher in his parka with a tambourine in hand as he snarls the intro mantra of the thunderous Manhattan Youth, followed by the equally massive Sweet, before Pumpkin takes the mood back down once more.
An as-yet untitled new song is aired too, which sounds great; it’s a miracle they have time to write new music in amongst all the touring!
The stunning I Have the Answer closes out the all-too-short 30-minute set in resonant fashion, and all those early Interpol comparisons continue to fade away as Been Stellar carves its own niche into my brain.
What a band.
Been Stellar Setlist
- Scream From New York, NY
- Manhattan Youth
- Sweet
- Pumpkin
- (Unknown new song)
- Kids 1995
- I Have the Answer
“Where are you getting all your energy from?!” enquires Inhaler frontman Elijah Hewson a few songs into their headline set.
And it’s true; for a crowd that sounds majority young female (judging by the shrill screams you hear between each song), they certainly know how to make it feel like a rock concert too.
Heck, the pogo-ing on Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah) could be straight out of a punk show and absolutely outdoes the Toronto crowd from a couple of nights before (according to a buddy who was at that show).
The singing is pretty loud throughout too, but especially so on Totally, where Elijah backs off his mic to let the crowd sing, “Why does it hurt me so much?” by themselves, before fully sticking his mic stand into the crowd during the outro of Dublin in Ecstasy.
The loudest moment comes on My King Will Be Kind, where the line “I f**king hate that b*tch” is notably louder than any other line of the song every single time it comes around. The people around me are basically screaming it!
It’s a riotous 90 minutes from start to finish.
Elijah has certainly made his own lane with a sound far removed from the band of his famous father, though the vocal similarities are absolutely inescapable at times, such as on Eddie in the Darkness and Open Wide.
It’s visually enthralling too—the stage bathed in deep red light on When It Breaks, before turning green on the frantic Little Things, as if signaling the crowd to go! They duly oblige, arms flailing and voices singing throughout.
Things go stadium rock on Who’s Your Money On? (Plastic House), as another huge pogo slows to an outro that sees cellphone lights illuminate MTelus.
Just to Keep You Satisfied is similar power-ballad territory and is followed by a heartfelt thanks from Elijah: “Thanks again for coming out, it means the world to us!”
He bows to the crowd as the band leaves the stage to rapturous applause. Clearly, it meant the world to everyone at MTelus tonight as well!
Inhaler Setlist
- My Honest Face
- Eddie in the Darkness
- When It Breaks
- Little Things
- A Question of You
- Totally
- The Charms
- Who’s Your Money On? (Plastic House)
- X-Ray
- My King Will Be Kind
- Dublin in Ecstasy
- Love Will Get You There
- Billy (Yeah Yeah Yeah)
- Just to Keep You Satisfied
- Cheer Up Baby
Encore
- Open Wide
- It Won’t Always Be Like This
- Your House
Review – Simon Williams
Photos – Steve Gerrard
