CONCERT REVIEW: BILLIE EILISH W/ DUCKWRTH AT ROGERS ARENA - MARCH 24TH, 2022
I was one of the 20,000 people in Vancouver on Thursday night screaming “Happier Than Ever” at the top of my lungs. Confetti was raining from the ceiling like the first snowfall of the year. The stage lights were flashing like massive glow sticks. There were at least three bras thrown on stage. I yelled my voice hoarse. I felt every single word. It was so therapeutic and I was close to bawling my eyes out.
Billie Eilish is hands down one of the best performers I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen so many videos of her singing at concerts – but with a setlist of almost thirty songs, not to mention her insane vocal ability and stage presence, her live show was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Having the whole of Rogers Arena screaming “Happier Than Ever” was only going to happen a finite number of times.
The night started off with DUCKWRTH, an LA-based rapper and songwriter. He was dressed in a spiffy dress shirt and black tie that looked almost out of place paired with his bleached platinum hair. He launched into a series of sultry songs, including “Crush,” “Super Bounce,” and “Mask Off (Feelings).” “I recently got through a breakup – I’m a little bit in my feelings tonight,” he admitted to the crowd. “Can we dance for a little bit?” He was smooth in both his words and dance moves, giving the microphone stand a taste of what he could do. He teased the crowd by stripping off his shirt and tie, which was immediately met with high-pitched cheers. He closed off his set with high-energy jams “No Chill” and “Kiss U Right Now.”
When Billie finally came on stage, the crowd was deafening. “There are two rules tonight,” she yelled. “One, you’re not allowed to judge a soul in here. And two, have fun!” She opened the show with the hits “bury a friend,” “NDA,” “Therefore I Am,” “you should see me in a crown,” and “my strange addiction.” I got goosebumps the minute she started singing. Everybody in the crowd was going absolutely feral. Her voice is stunning, especially when paired with the woozy synths and electrifying vocal production, courtesy of her brother Finneas. The videos don’t do her justice.
I love how she puts so much heart into her show. She dances like I do when I’m singing her songs in my bedroom, without a care in the world. It’s cute that she needs kneepads when performing and that she breaks her ankles from it sometimes. She was a total rockstar.
Her dark lyricism was complete with thrilling visual stimulation. A giant floor-to-ceiling screen the size of a small apartment building showed hypnotic images and moody monochrome colours. There was liberal use of brightness and white spotlights that spanned the entire length of the stage. It felt like the stage was shaking during tracks with bass-boosted vocals, like in “bury a friend,” and the vibrations scratched every itch in your brain.
She then moved onto the acoustic segment of her show, where she played some of her slower tracks such as “GOLDWING,” “Halley’s Comet,” and “Male Fantasy.” She brought out Finneas from behind his bass and keyboards. It had a very tender, stripped-down feel, as they both sat on stools center stage and were accompanied by nothing except their guitars. Her vocals were angelic and controlled. It made every hair on my arm stand up. At the end of “Your Power,” she revealed that it was one of her favourite songs she had written and how it was important to her to protect young girls.
The throwback segment came next. She got into a giant rotating cherry picker-like contraption that elevated her above the crowd. She sang many of her old favourites, including “bellyache,” “ocean eyes,” and “Bored.” Instant chills. There was not a single dry eye in sight. Sometimes I wonder how Billie feels experiencing this night after night. As she sang “Getting Older,” visuals of her and Finneas as little kids played back on the big screen. I can imagine looking back, it must feel like an “I did it” moment for her. “I’m so grateful I have you guys and I feel like we all grew up together,” she said graciously.
By the time she got to “everything i wanted,” I knew the end was coming. She launched into “when the party’s over,” “all the good girls go to hell,” and her most popular song ever, “bad guy.” The entire crowd was belting the words, yelling the word “duh” in complete unison. The standout was the entire five minutes of aggressive singing during “Happier Than Ever.” I felt every word from head to toe. It was magical. I would give anything to relive the experience again.
Written by: Si Jia Wen
Photo credit to: Jeff Vinnick
The Permanent Rain Press Interview with William Singe. (Watch in HD)
We had the opportunity to interview Australian singer-songwriter William Singe ahead of his sold-out Vancouver date on The Changes Tour. Stay tuned for his thoughts on touring with Alex Aiono, new music, and dealing with the pressures of being an artist.
Descendant – Lucid AfterLife
Release Date: May 26th, 2019
Track Listing:
1. One Eyed Angel War Machine
2. Pharma Matrix Karma Spaceship
3. Checkin out
4. My Lvcifer
5. Dye My Soul {DMT}
6. Love Is A Legend
When asked about Lucid AfterLife’s new album, Thom Turner described it as a “descendant of all that [they have] been working towards in its history.” I think this is a brilliant narrative. As the band tells it, the album encompasses their evolving artistry over the past two years. Descendant is earthy and dystopian, a fusion of experimental sounds rooted in ethnic and spiritual influences.
The most peculiar thing about the album was how it was presented in “natural tuning of 432 Hz.” After some instinctive curiosity, I learned that 432 Hz was the “frequency of the heart, brain, earth, sun, and water” – and apparently has “cosmic healing powers.” You can imagine my incredulous reaction in reading about its positive vibrations and extremely deep healing energy. This disbelief was coupled with the colourful album cover, which resembles a fiery serpent from what was possibly art from the ancient Aztec civilization. I decided to listen to the entire album in one sitting in fear of offending the vibration spirits.
Nonetheless, it's easy to appreciate Descendant. It reminds me of a little metal, a little noise, a little prog, and a whole lot of other things. It gives off a daunting, unnatural sound driven by rumbling bass and (at times) semi-demonic vocals. “Pharma Matrix Karma Spaceship” is a cross between an incoming zombie apocalypse and the creation of the universe. The whispering guitar in "Checkin out" reminds me of a never-ending rolling landscape. "Dye My Soul {DMT}" is distant and detached, layering a haunting vocal over slices of slow-tempo lyricism.
Although it may be difficult to connect with the spiritual aspect, the album is objectively emotional. It bleeds with violence and pain, attempting to disguise itself as something less. “I would focus on releasing demons evenings were plentiful / Full of “why me’s” and “let it goes” / Till my mind was a vegetable,” sings Nat Jack’s penetrating vocals on “Love Is A Legend.” It's disturbingly personal, a tenet of triumph and hurting. Their inspiration is a reference point for society’s universal insignificance. Descendant is defined by a retreat to the primitive.
Running in Circles – Silvertone Hills
Release Date: August 10th, 2019
Track Listing:
1. This Paradise
2. Hangin' on the Line
3. The Baggage of Bad Tradition
4. Chasing the Rabbit
5. Foreign Dancers
What a difference a second EP makes. Hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, indie rockers Silvertone Hills have put out their second release, Running in Circles. Previously, their debut Follow Suit was a percussion and guitar heavy melodrama, described as a “cassette tape release from the 90s” from our review last year. Now, they’re ditching the Britpop and embracing expansive sounds of danceable and catchy riffage. Consisting of Liam O’Sullivan, Andrew Billone, Alex Bishop, and Mike Park, the band is shedding internalized feelings of expectations and uncertainty.
The first single “This Paradise” sets the diverse tone. It is overrun by once-rebellious guitar lines, and held together by a groovy beat that makes it easy to follow. “Hangin’ on the Line” builds and builds, blanketed with a reconstruction of classic rock on a smaller level. Songs “The Baggage of Bad Tradition” and “Chasing the Rabbit” leverage Liam’s vocals in the mix, dissolving it in a mesh of guitars and catchy cuts. “Foreign Dancers” closes with an injection of a freewheeling guitar solo, blending into the song a surprising adolescent tint.
The EP’s lyricism beams with indecisiveness. “You're dreaming on the bathroom floor / Kicking and screaming while we find some purpose with this 20 dollar bill that we found,” mixes the abstract with the practical. “Running in circles, no further today / Chasing the rabbit, because it's a game we like to play,” is a shot of tough love. “The signs they lead us anywhere / But we don't care for them” does something different, and I’m pleased that the end result is moody and unresolved. Asking the band for advice on what to do is futile. They only offer condolences and feel-good hooks—but maybe that’s the best way to deal with it.
Running in Circles is a fine album. They explore new musical territory and this is by far the band’s best work, but they are taking far too few risks. I would love to see them step back from overusing “inspiration” and encourage them to define what Silvertone Hills means to them.
CONCERT REVIEW: PRETTYMUCH W/ MACKENZIE ZIEGLER AT REBEL - JULY 26TH, 2019
PRETTYMUCH was well worth the wait. On Friday night, hundreds of BEANZ pulled up to see their first PRETTYMUCH concert in Toronto. Consisting of Brandon Arreaga, Zion Kuwonu, Edwin Honoret, Nick Mara, and Austin Porter, the band’s humble beginnings came in the form of Simon Cowell (if that sounds familiar, he was also credited with the inception of One Direction and Fifth Harmony). With sun-soaked tracks and slick choreography, the fivesome ensured there was zero FOMO in the crowd that night.
Mackenzie Ziegler kicked off the show with a dance-heavy set (a nod to her appearance on Dance Moms), but it surprisingly fell flat. I had a hard time deciphering whether it was her or just the crowd, but eventually chalked it up to fanbase drama. Admittedly, her music isn’t stuff that would vibe with PRETTYMUCH fans, but regardless I think she’s killing it as a 15-year-old child star. She performed tracks including “Nothing On Us,” “Rockstar,” “Emoceans,” and “HOT” (rumoured to be about her ex-boyfriend Ashton, who she described as “someone not so special”). She topped it off with a cover of Lauv and Troye Sivan’s “i’m so tired…” which was not surprisingly the loudest song of her entire set.
By the time PRETTYMUCH took the stage, the venue was packed. It rivaled the crowd at Why Don’t We’s concert a couple months ago, and was ten times busier than Rebel on an average Saturday night. Launching into their brand new single “Lying,” the band simultaneously induced both happy tears and ear-splitting screams. They constantly had stagehands pick up bras that were being thrown onstage. They were also constantly asking the crowd to back up, and checking in with fans if they needed help. But they kept the party going by constantly throwing pieces of “pretty merch” into the crowd. I haven’t seen this level of insanity in forever.
I’ve got to give them credit where it’s due. Their energy was unparalleled, contagious, and off-the-charts the whole night. Songs like “Summer On You,” “Would You Mind,” “Solita,” “Jello,” and “Teacher” were practically made for a live show. I loved their stage setup: it had an industrial look, made up of two-level scaffolding and decked out with yellow “FOMO” and “PRETTYMUCH” placards. It made good use of vertical space and had plenty of room for jumps and dance solos. Every song had a perfect amount of synchronized choreo and casual improv—and it was their signature brand of goofiness that made the show so fun.
It’s a shame that PRETTYMUCH hasn’t had its big break yet. They’re (objectively) a superior boy band group, but they just haven’t had the recognition they deserve. Boy bands will remain a cultural force in music, so perhaps their time will come when they drop their debut album.
Daybreaker – Redwoods
Release Date: May 30th, 2019
Track Listing:
1. No Stoppin' Now
2. In Between
3. Drowning
4. Sing It
5. Silhouette
6. Light Me Up
7. Nothin' but Trouble
8. Tidal Wave
Before the album became Daybreaker, it partly masqueraded as Study Night (three songs from the album originated from that EP). It’s funny because “daybreak” and “study night” are the last words I would expect to see in the same sentence.
Based in North Vancouver, Redwoods consists of Devon Webber, Aydn Graham, Chad Carlsen, and Adam Lickness. Their spin-off of their EP makes it seem like they’re experimenting with an entirely new sound, but the truth is that they’ve always been soulful and grungy. Emotional and slow-tempo tracks like "Sing It" and “Silhouette” are smoldering, while overtly catchy hooks in songs like “Tidal Wave” are fast favourites. When the band returns to their sweet hooks and chunky punk instrumental riffs, like in “No Stoppin’ Now,” they throw their bedroom rock back into the mix. It’s a trajectory that hits listeners with an enthusiastically physical sound.
The four-piece have stated in a previous interview that their lyrics come last in the songwriting process. The band does this well, choosing words that literally match the emotion of the music. Although poetic language isn’t one of Redwoods’ strong suits, their lyricism is blunt and relatable. "What I meant wasn't what I said / What I wrote wasn't what you read,” Webber drawls in “Sihouette” before launching into an angsty guitar-driven chorus. It’s these allowances that help capture the spunky, youthful energy of the band.
Daybreaker represents a much larger reframing of Redwoods’ sound. It tilts its characteristically lo-fi rhythms into a punchy expanse of six-string jams. It’s barely there, but noticeable.
CONCERT REVIEW: ALY & AJ W/ ARMORS AT PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE - JUNE 3RD, 2019
ARMORS has the angsty teenage look going for them. Sporting baggy overalls and messy hair, lead vocalist Olen seemed shy when talking to the crowd. “Do what you do with albums,” he said timidly, promoting the duo’s 2019 debut album, Who's Gonna Love Me (When I'm Not Young). But his personality emerged the minute he started singing. Performing songs like “Old House,” “DOA,” and “I Don’t Wanna Know,” ARMORS is fast-paced and aggressively poppy, even with gritty vocals and guitar work. Although it was their first time playing in Canada, that didn’t stop fans from excitedly dancing along to their high energy and very emo tracks.
I felt the love the entire time I was there. Fans were dressed in Aly & AJ merch from both the current and previous tour, and they sang along and nailed the lyrics to every song. It’s no wonder why fans love them. They were so down to earth, joking about AJ being Aly’s “little” sister (Aly: “She does that every night!”) and how their parents enjoyed using emojis of their faces. The love also goes both ways: during “Good Love,” Aly and AJ voiced their support for The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization working on suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth. They encouraged their fans to sign a petition to end conversion therapy during the show, in exchange for the chance to meet them backstage. It was perfect timing for Pride Month.
“This is why we come back. There’s too much of good energy here!” Aly & AJ yelled to a smattering of “I love you’s” from the crowd. They performed a number of tracks from their latest album, including “Church,” “Don’t Go Changing,” and “Not Ready to Wake Up.” They also found love for songs from the past and fans were treated to decade-old throwbacks, including “Good Love,” “Rush,” and “No One.” It was like a day hadn’t gone by since Into The Rush was first released. Commanding angelic harmonies in a cover of Kacey Musgrave’s “Slow Burn,” their seasoned and mature vocals added a twist to performances of songs both new and old.
