Metric’s sold-out show at the Hollywood Palladium Friday night may have been to promote new album Pagans in Vegas — an energetic, New Wave-inspired release — but the Canadian band chose to thrill longtime fans by performing songs from every single one of its last five records, beginning the night with “IOU” from debut release Old World Underground, Where Are You Now. The audience erupted into cheers upon hearing the single, now more than 10 years old.
Singer Emily Haines confidently commanded the stage early on, and by the second song, Fantasies’ excellent single “Help I’m Alive,” audience members were thrusting their fists in the air along as she sang, “My heart keeps beating like a hammer.” It was an impressive visual to see thousands of hands up in the air in unison with Haines, who delivered the vocals with passionate enthusiasm, building up to the pulsating chorus.
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It was not until the fifth song that the band selected tracks from the new album, performing Haines’ self-proclaimed “fave track” from Pagans, “Cascades.” For the synth-heavy dance song, the band members wore neon sunglasses, and Haines donned a cape that was lit in different colors. Aesthetically, it created an effect that mimicked the song’s music video, which is all neon-colored wires on a switchboard. The band has described “Cascades” as “the pounding heart” of Pagans, and with lyrics such as “just keep going strong with whatever it is that’s compelling you on,” it reflects the positivity the band is aiming to project through its music. “The spirit that went into Pagans, which very much drove Pagans,” Haines told Billboard, “comes from love.”
To the delight of veteran Metric devotees, Haines sang a cappella versions of two very early songs: “Raw Sugar” and “Hustle Rose.” Hearing her sing without any accompaniment highlighted the strength of her voice, and there was a hushed silence in the large venue. After singing a few lines of “Hustle Rose,” Haines smiled and admitted that she knew some in the audience would like to hear that one, before segueing to the Pagans track “Too Bad, So Sad.” It was a stark contrast, going from a stripped-down acoustic number to “Too Bad,” a song that lends itself to being performed in large stadiums. As Haines enthusiastically sang the chorus’ “woo hoo!” the band members all bounced around on stage energetically, and the audience followed along, spilling their drinks without a care.
For “Dreams So Real,” the band invited several fans on stage to sing along, introducing them as the L.A. choir. “We’re going to sing our guts out ’cause it’s all going to make us feel better,” said guitarist Jimmy Shaw. Toward the end of the song, Haines singled out a young woman to sing the last lyrics with her: “Baby wherever you are, baby whatever you do, faster than you think, time staggers on.” The fan was clearly overwhelmed by the moment, and her voice was faintly heard as Haines helped her vocally and hugged her at the end.
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Metric took several opportunities to perform acoustic versions of its songs, including during the encore, when Haines and Shaw performed “Gimme Sympathy” as a duo. The audience sang along loudly to the repeating refrain: “Who would you rather be, The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?” The acoustic numbers hinted at the band’s upcoming companion album, LP 7, which has been described as “cinematic, atmospheric” and a departure from the electronic sound.
At the end of the night, Haines reflected, “As we see the value of music drift, we still have this,” thanking the fans who have been with them since the days when the band performed at the Silverlake Lounge. It seemed to touch upon the “Dreams So Real” lyrics: “Our parents, daughters and sons believed in the power of songs. What if those days are gone?”
This show seemed to prove that those days are not yet gone; even the most cynical listener wouldn’t find any evidence of that during Metric’s concert. The audience was as immersed in the music as the band itself, and after the very last song, “Breathing Underwater,” as the band gathered together to wave goodbye, fans were commenting on how incredible the concert was as they left the venue. It seems they believed in the power of songs.