"It Was Never a Phase!" - Silverstein Rocks the Commodore Ballroom
On Wednesday, April 26th, Vancouverites were treated to a night of nostalgia, emotion, and angst-filled breakdowns as Silverstein's 'Misery Made Me' tour stopped at the Commodore Ballroom. Bringing with them a contingent of up and coming acts in the punk, hardcore, and emo scene including One Step Closer, SeeYouSpaceCowboy..., and Dayseeker, the night was stacked with high energy performances that made the room pulsate with a vibe reminiscent of the mid-2000s. Arriving on the heels of the 20th anniversary of Silverstein's breakthrough debut album, "When Broken Is Easily Fixed", the crowd was largely made up of millennials in attendance to relive memories of adolescent days gone by. With nearly everyone dressed in their favourite black t-shirts & jeans, you could tell the spirit of emo was still alive and well amongst the crowd. As the bands took the stage and gave it their all for the fans, it was clear that this music is here to stay.
Kicking off the night was American melodic hardcore band, One Step Closer. With a style influenced by the sounds of the straight-edge scene, they got the mosh pit warmed up for what would prove to be a busy night of slam dancing for all involved. Up next was San Diego-based screamo band SeeYouSpaceCowboy. Arguably the heaviest and most aggressive band on the bill, SYSC channelled the spirits of the scene's forebearers like Alexisonfire, The Used, and I Killed the Prom Queen, to deliver a ferocious performance of dissonant chords and thunderous breakdowns, layered atop lead singer Connie Sgarbossa's fierce screaming vocals. The final opener of the night, California's "Dayseeker", then took the stage. With a style more aligned with Silverstein (highlighting the incredible vocal range and abilities of lead singer Rory Rodriguez) and songs designed for singing your heart out, they were the perfect act to set the stage for Silverstein. Blazing through a set of new material from their latest album, Dark Sun, emotions ran high within the crowd. Finishing their set with a dedication to Rory's late father, the crowd was both enthralled and eager with anticipation for Silverstein.
Silverstein wasted no time in diving headfirst into their set, delivering some new material as well as plenty of old favourites spanning their 20 year career. The energy from the crowd continued to build with each song, encouraging more and more fans to join in the already rambunctious mosh pit and release some pent-up energy. As the night's end approached, Silverstein took some time to acknowledge the previous times they had been in Vancouver and to check in with the crowd to see who had seen them before. With nearly every person in the room acknowledging their long-term fandom, Silverstein rewarded the faithful in attendance by playing some of their classics, "Smile In Your Sleep" and "My Heroine". Both songs provoked a tumultuous sing-along, with the crowd belting out every lyric back at the band. To cap off the night, Silverstein made a special tribute to the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park with an impeccable cover of "One Step Closer", to which the crowd exploded. The band finished their set with a double encore and still left fans wanting more. As the crowd exited the venue, it was obvious that this would not be the last time Vancouver would be seeing Silverstein, because clearly, their music was never just a phase.
