Words: Miljan Milekić
In my mind, there are two Silversteins. The first one is melodic and “happy,” one that plays songs like ‘Bad Habits’ and ‘The Afterglow,’ and the one I want to see under the open Summer sky in a Warped Tour-like setting as possible. The second one is heavy and aggressive, the one that kicks in with songs like ‘Ultraviolet’ and ‘Bankrupt,’ the one I want to see in a packed club, with everyone going ballistic. I got to see the first one last Summer in Budapest, Hungary, where they played in front of Billy Talent, and now, it was time for the other one.
It didn’t take long for the band to take the club over, on their biggest Saskatoon show to date, at least according to singer Shane Told. The first few notes of the beforementioned ‘Ultraviolet’ were more than enough to get the crowd going, and there was no taking the foot of the gas from there. The strong opener was followed by ‘Dead Reflections” ‘Retrograde’ and ‘A Beautiful Place to Drown” ‘Burn It Down,’ promising to touch on all phases of their 20-decades-long career.
One of my first personal highlights came in quite early when the band dropped ‘Giving Up,’ the first song I heard from the band many Moons ago, back to back with one of the newer favorites in ‘It’s Over.’ The crowd was ready to accept everything that was thrown their way, but the middle part of the set was definitely marked by a destroyer in the form of ‘Bankrupt,’ and more melodic numbers such as ‘Infinite’ and ‘Bad Habits,’ followed by now ten-year-old ‘Massachusetts.’ The band also fired up the brand-new single ‘Poison Pill,’ before firing off a massive cover of Linkin Park‘s ‘One Step Closer,’ dedicated to the night’s opening band. From there, it was smooth sailing with ‘My Heroine,’ ‘The Afterglow,’ and ‘Live Like This,’ before closing the night with a short encore consisting of ‘Smile in Your Sleep,’ and ‘The Altar/Mary.’
Shane Told‘s words about this being their biggest headline show in Saskatoon did ring true in retrospect looking at the number of people in the packed Coors Event Centre, including the big line at the doors which made us miss the first few songs from the night’s opener One Step Closer. The Pennsylvania hardcore band is making some serious waves in the scene right now, and they are definitely a band worth paying closer attention to. I had a bit of a dilemma about how much this lineup will work for them while crying for not being in Germany to catch their tour with Comeback Kid, but they simply stormed through their set. Carried by the songs like ‘Deep Blue,’ ‘Turn To Me,’ ‘Chrysanthemum,’ ‘Leave Me Behind,’ or the set closer – ‘The Reach,’ they had a warm welcome in Saskatoon, with quite a few fans of their own, so hopefully, it won’t be long until they are back in the city, maybe even with a headline show. Anyhow, we’re waiting for the new album!
The two bands that followed aren’t really my cup of tea, but they both provided more than solid sets, with tons of energy. SeeYouSpaceCowboy brought their signature chaotic sound, with the same amount of chaos on the stage as well. Singer Connie Sgarbossa was leading the charge with aggressive, glass-shattering screams, quickly engaging the crowd in 30 minutes of moshpits and singalongs in the first rows. Dayseeker, on the other hand, offers a much different, calmer sound, clashing emo and post-hardcore with alternative rock. The tight, energetic set was followed with massive singalongs, especially during the signature songs like ‘Without Me,’ ‘Crying While You’re Dancing,’ ‘Sleeptalk,’ or the set closer ‘Neon Grave.’ The band has all the elements to become big, and to do it quickly. They already have big songs. They have the energy and the presence of a much more experienced band, and I feel like it won’t be too long before they start headlining the same venues they are now touring as the support act.
It seemed like all the little things came together on this night. All four bands fully delivered everything we expected from them, and even exceeded it – although two guys who screamed ‘Smashed Into Pieces’ between the songs for a better part of Silverstein’s set may disagree. The special shout-out, however, got to go to the security in front of the stage. We had the opportunity to see shows in quite a few different cities and countries, but rarely did we see people in their position putting in so much effort to keep everyone safe, catching countless crowdsurfers, making sure that every person is okay, and doing that without the unnecessary policing and spoiling everyone’s fun.
