METRIC STUN ON THE ‘DOOMSCROLLER’ TOUR

Metric performing at House of Blues, Anaheim by Jacob Alvarez

CANADIAN ROCKERS KEPT EMOTIONS HIGH

Youth wandered the shopping plaza where the House of Blues laid nestled in the corner. I wouldn’t normally made the trip out to Anaheim considering the distance and venue, but attending Metric with members of my family made for a decent night. On this specific tour, the band offered VIP packages on a tiered system, therefore some fans were allowed early access inside such as my dad and brother. I spent my time roaming the Halloween decorated marketplace; large skeleton figures towered over guests who posed for photos.

The love/hate relationship with the venue began to wash off as I approached will call; I was given access to the terrace section which they consider VIP. The idea of dodging the sardine packed room from past experiences brought me joy, so I slapped on my press badge and awaited Metric from the center balcony. Texas natives Secret Machines opened the event, playing a few songs shrouded by darkness with two flood lights revealing silhouettes of the band. The show seemed sold out, yet there was more wiggle room for every patron (probably up to fire code standards). Around 9:10PM, I awaited in the photo pit with fellow photographer Bradley Dupray, catching up on the past shows we’ve covered.

Metric performing at House of Blues Anaheim, OC by Jacob Alvarez

Not five minutes later, Emily Haines and Metric gathered on stage in silence pit against an uproar of fans screaming. As featured in the name of the tour, the show aptly began with “Doomscroller” which features a shift in momentum that creates separate sounds, enough to confuse security of thinking it was two tracks. Therefore we shot “Gold Guns Girls” before being ushered to the side where I remained as I watched my brother and father barrier-side head bang to the classic tune along with “Dark Saturday.”

The set featured a variety of the band’s discography, however, 2015’s Pagans In Vegas was completely left out. It was an interesting choice to do so, with some fans disappointed wanting to hear “Cascades” and “Other Side,” my dad being one of them. I returned to my seat and watched the audience jump to “Sick Muse” and hum “Combat Baby,” mirroring Haines. Multiple scenes featured guitarist James Shaw and bassist Joshua Winstead standing on the edge of the stage, Haines in between. The band inched closer and closer before breaking off to their respected instruments and leaving everything on display. Before concluding the night, Haines took time to grasp the incredible feeling of returning to the stage and sharing music with people; you felt the authenticity in her voice. The same note was hit on final track “Breathing Underwater,” herself repeating “Is this my life, or am I breathing underwater”? However, the words floated about with Haines’ delivery slowly ceasing. Check out the set list here!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!