Sam Roberts Band offers Vancouver Refuge from West Coast Cold
A February night in downtown Vancouver. Rain falls lazily, and a slow cold grips those waiting in the cue for the Commodore Ballroom, for the sold out show of the Sam Roberts Band.
Up the stairs from the entrance, the legendary venue comes into focus, its trademark ballroom dance floor surrounded by columns, tables, and bars lining the walls. The balcony above is packed with those who’ve come early to find the perfect angle. The place fills up quickly. The crowd spans generations, a testament to the band’s enduring appeal as Canadiana rock stalwarts.
Amongst the buzz of conversation, the opener, Brandon Wolfe Scott, known for his work as guitarist and co-songwriter for local legends Yukon Blonde, takes the stage with his backing band. Scott sings passionately and earnestly, providing a mellow and enthralling start to the evening that calls people to the floor to roll in his soundwaves. His last track is an absorbing groove that washes over the crowd, sending them into a frenzy for the main event.
In enough time to refill your drink, the lights are turned down once again, the blinds fall over the windows where the neon signs of Granville beam, and Sam Roberts Band takes the stage to whistles and shouts. The band begin with the end, with “Afterlife,” off their new album, The Ballad of Ben Blank. Without skipping a beat, they slide effortlessly from the swaying melody and driving guitars of “With a Bullet” to their bouncy headbanging ode to classic rock, “Them Kids.”
The band prove themselves tireless, belting out song after song with few breaks between, serving a potent cocktail of new jams and crowd-pleasers. Each of the songs are layered with rich guitar riffs, hypnotic percussion, infectious melodies, and winking lyrics steered by Sam’s ageless voice.
In the midst of the show, as smoke eddies in the eye of stage lights, the band takes a breath, and Sam takes a moment to address the crowd, reminiscing about the band’s formation in Vancouver decades ago. He recalls the memories the band has made in this city, in this very room, over the years, but underscores the need to live in the present, to not lose oneself in memories as to forget to make a new one tonight. The crowd cheers in agreement, sharing in this moment with the iconic Canadian band.
Sam thanks fans for staying with them for all these years, but it isn’t hard to see why the band has retained such a consistent outpouring as they end the night with a substantial encore capped off with their winding, theatrical “Mind Flood” for an epic coda that sees Granville Street once again overflowing with Sam Roberts Band fans, all humming the same last notes as they go their separate ways into the night.
