Last night I was fortunate enough to be able to head to Victoria, BC and see a few of my favourite artists put on a great show. These artists include opening acts Cage The Elephant and The Manchester Orchestra, and headliners The Silversun Pickups. The show, held at the Royal Theatre in Victoria, was presented by The Zone @ 91.3.
First things first: The Royal Theatre is not meant to house rock concerts whatsoever, and in doing so, I believe the acoustics were terrible. That, combined with the screeching of Brian Aubert, and the ultra high-pitched squeal of some 40 year old lady behind (at least she knows how to have fun, yes?) made the sounds in the theatre not so terrific.
Nonetheless, all three acts managed to genuinely rock it out. First act Cage The Elephant (Bowling Green, KY) was one of the highest energy bands I’ve seen in a while, as you would see lead singer Matt Shultz jumping off stage to end up serenading the audience and climbing all over the speakers. He definitely had a good vibe around him, as he stumbled around the stage. The band in general seemed very enthusiastic and loved the audience. Their act deserves a good 4/5.
Second opening act the Manchester Orchestra (Atlanta, GA) came in with a real stride, and left with a good impression. As an American band, them taking the time to stop and sing the Canadian national anthem pretty much put them in everyone’s hearts forever. They’e a very respectable band who know how to rock while keeping a reasonably mellow atmosphere throughout. Good music also helps the show run smoothly, which is exactly what they have. Manchester Orchestra’s set gets a 5/5 from me.
And last but not least, the headliner, the Silversun Pickups (Los Angeles, CA) really brought it. For them to come to Victoria was a treat at that. They put on a descent show, not a great show, in my opinion. They are always one to try and get the crowd going by having screeching distortion right to the point where you think your ears might just start bleeding. They still managed to please me though. I absolutely envy Chris Guanlao on the drums, as his style is wild and relentless, and, oh boy, Nikki Monninger is sure cute, isn’t she? In general they had an alright set. It may have been a tad loud for my liking. I mean don’t get me wrong; loud is good for concerts, but I found this really loud. 3.5/5 this time.
In general, I liked this show, and all the artists were terrific!
Rating: 
