This past weekened I had the chance to see Live along with Big Wreck and The Damn Truth at the Scotiabank Centre.
I opted for the Big Wreck Meet and greet which included a set of guitar picks, a signed poster, lanyard and of course the chance to meet the band in person for a photo op. I’ll be honest, I don’t get starstruck very often as I have had the chance to meet many celebrities from actors to musicians over the years but this was one of those times. Like many Canadian Millennials I grew up listening to Songs like That Song, The Oaf and Albatross so to meet the brains behind such legendary songs was like meeting the person responsible for a huge part of my childhood.
The show opened up Montréal’s “The Damn Truth.” A band nominated for Rock Album of the Year for their self titled album at the recent Juno Awards.
An opening band’s job is to get the crowd pumped for the upcoming bands, and they did exactly that with everything from they stylish outfits to energetic tunes. I may not have known the band before the show but I certainly am a fan now and look forward to seeing where their career takes them!
And then there was Big Wreck.
They played a healthy mix of everything, from classics like “That Song” and “The Oaf” to “Come Again” from the groups Thornley era and newer hits such as “Dog With a Gun” from the bands latest album The Rest of the Story, released this past October. The band kept the energy flowing strong through their whole 9 song performance, giving me one of the strongest feelings of nostalgia I had felt in many years. Like I was transported to the backseat of my dads car for one of our many summer road trips, when there were no worries and life was simpler.
Finally, Live hit the stage with “Operation Spirit” from their 1991 album Mental Jewelry.
Their setlist included much slower songs than the previous bands, but that didn’t stop them from keeping the energy going into the night. From costume changes to brand new songs like “Leave the Radio On,” the crowd was engaged the whole night. They ended their set with two of their biggest hits, “I Alone” and “Lightning Crashes,” Two songs I was waiting the whole night to hear. The more I think about it the more I realize that was the perfect way to end the night, in a way that has me wanting to go back and relive the moments!
