I’m a little embarrassed to admit that Metric rocked harder than I’d expected. Despite the fact that the band has a touch of dance punk, when I listen to Emily Haines sing on Metric’s albums, her vocals always sound controlled – almost restrained. I expected to see her leading the band, focused at her synthesizer or guitar, delivering her high, steady vocals.
But – to my pleasant surprise – this was not the Emily Haines that I found at the 9:30 Club. I found a head-banging, fist-pumping Emily Haines performing all of her songs as though she thought each one was the greatest, most fun track she’s ever had the pleasure of singing. And while she did spend time on both guitar and synth, for the most part, the concert found her moving quickly back and forth across the stage, as though she couldn’t emit enough energy.
Metric was preceded by openers Smile Smile and Sebastian Grainger: The former, a cute duo delivering simple pop melodies, the latter a rock band full of men in jumpsuits whose demeanor was a little too cocky and whose rock epics were a little too dramatic. Is it unfair to ask that opening bands not play 10 minute songs?
While Metric’s live show brought out their rock elements, it also brought out some ’80s undertones. The atmosphere was smoky and blue-lit, and Haines was sporting a sequined top. As she lurched over her synth during opener “Twilight Galaxy,” a strobe light pulsed through the room, and I expected a spandex clad David Bowie to emerge (he didn’t).
For much of the show, the band plowed through track after track. When they paused to let Haines speak to the crowd, she made each instance a relevant one. Haines values live music, and she explained as much, talking about the role it plays in her life and Metric’s journey from small clubs to a venue such as the 9:30 Club. This dissolved into an inspirational, “Follow your dreams” type speech, leading into the song “Gimme Sympathy.”
By this point in their career, Metric have released four albums, with Fantasies seeming to be the one garnering the most attention. Most of the evening’s tracks were from this album, with a few key choices from previous records including “Dead Disco,” “Monster Hospital” and “Live it Out,” the latter two being saved for the encore.
The highlight of the encore, however, was the monologue Haines gave before performing “Stadium Love” that describes all living things being forced to battle out their differences in a giant stadium. “I don’t have to explain to you what’s wrong with the world,” she began. “You know what I believe.” I found myself wishing that she would explain her beliefs, as her description of today’s world included the phrase “cheeseburger faces eating the world.” But, judgments aside, I accepted Haines’s description of the world’s love filling the stadium of the atmosphere. With the show exceeding my expectations and Haines’s contagious energy, her odd interludes came off as heartwarming – cheeseburger faces be damned.
by Melissa Muenz
