I’m shocked when I come to the realization that it has been almost 17 years since the first time I saw Silversun Pickups for the measly sum of £6.50 at a tiny bar in Liverpool, England. I still have my booking receipt in my inbox (thank you, Hotmail, and your immense storage)! I ended up moving to Canada a few months later and somehow never saw them headline again… until tonight.
It may have been 17 years, but the band doesn’t seem to have changed a jot. Frontman Brian Aubert’s voice still sounds absolutely identical, and bassist Nikki Monninger still grins ear to ear throughout. The crowd is a lot bigger tonight though, that’s for sure!
The almost 2-hour show is incredibly diverse musically, much more than the rock sound you would immediately associate with the band. Things start in a moody fashion with “Growing Old Is Getting Old,” the stage bathed in dim red light as Nikki’s driving bass suddenly explodes into a huge blaze of strobe lights. “Cannibal” follows a similar vibe, immersed in hellish red light and is a seamless prelude to “Substitution,” which ends with a stunning 3-way harmony between Brian, Nikki, and keyboardist Joe Lester. “Scared Together” throws in that vocoder wah-wah effect that Chromeo love so much, while the gorgeous “Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance)” feels so ethereal live, it’s almost a religious experience!
In many bands, the bass is simply an anonymous necessity, but that’s certainly not the case with Silversun Pickups. In many cases, Nikki’s bass riffs are more dominant than Brian’s guitar, as is the case on the classics “Panic Switch” and “Mean Spirits,” which sound especially massive tonight. “Well Thought Out Twinkles” was my gateway song to Silversun Pickups, and it really doesn’t get any better than Nikki’s bass riff breakdown midway through, a perfect detour from Brian’s immense screeching riffs.
Indeed, Brian’s guitar work is also a sight to behold in the live arena. He sounds almost Clapton-esque on “It Doesn’t Matter Why,” and even the more mellow songs like the classic “Lazy Eye” get extra oomph live. Many of the songs sound immeasurably heavier live than on record, to the point where there’s a veritable mosh pit by the time “Lazy Eye” explodes in the mid-section.
Brian is quick to point out his love for Montreal very early in the set. He starts his thought, “Welcome to the show Montreal…” before being interrupted by a rowdy guy in the crowd, who loudly interjects, “We are the best!” Brian concurs, “Spoiler alert: you are the best!” (Note: he confirms this to me when I fortuitously bump into him after the show at Burgundy Lion, right next door.)
By the time the band leaves the stage for good after a stellar set that absolutely flies by, it’s evident from the crowd cheers that the feeling is mutual!
Setlist
- Growing Old Is Getting Old
- Sticks and Stones
- Well Thought Out Twinkles
- It Doesn’t Matter Why
- Panic Switch
- Scared Together
- Little Lover’s So Polite
- Alone on a Hill
- Kissing Families
- Don’t Know Yet
- Mean Spirits
- Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance)
- Dots and Dashes (Enough Already)
- Substitution
- Nightlight
Encore - Three Seed
- Cannibal
- Empty Nest
- Lazy Eye
Support came from Brooklyn-based band Hello Mary
Review – Simon Williams
Photos – Steve Gerrard
