Concert review: Metric at The Orange Peel

Performing for a sold-out crowd at the famed Orange Peel is a distinction few acts can claim. But on Sept. 24, Canadian indie-rock outfit Metric proved it had the talent, charisma, and following to warrant such a feat.

Touring in support of its latest release, Formentera, the backing trio consisting of drummer/percussionist Joules Scott-Key, bassist/keyboardist Joshua Winstead, and guitarist/keyboardist James Shaw provided the perfect engine to propel every musical moment forward, creating a sturdy foundation for lead vocalist and keyboardist Emily Haines to perform on with as much verve as humanly possible.

Channeling her own version of a glammed-out Debbie Harry, Haines commanded the audience at her own whim. Her bandmates literally came to her side to facilitate any theatrics that sprang forth, while the energy of the venue was only matched by the intensity of the electro-punk fusion that Metric has been steadily providing the world for nearly 20 years. 

Hits like “Help, I’m Alive” and “Black Sheep” warranted raised fists and a barrage of stadium lights to match every beat the band could muster up. On the other end, early-career favorite “Combat Baby,” carried out in a stripped-down acoustic version, elicited singalongs that carried on after Haines dropped her own vocal to let the crowd take center stage.

While Metric’s career has lacked the big hit in the States like other indie bands of its status, the Orange Peel crowd was nevertheless filled with die-hards who knew the words to every song. The barrage of lights that filled the background of the stage bathed the audience in hues reminiscent of a neon world ripped straight from a science fiction film. It was one of the most singular and all encompassing concert experiences I have ever witnessed, signaling a singular identity for a band that evades any sort of singular definition.

Keeping in-line with the ferocity and wild abandon with which the band played, the band maneuvered a straight shot from song to song. No banter, no stories — nothing but the songs to carry any sort of narrative for the night. It seems indicative of the path that Metric has taken as a whole: Always steady and on course to simply make the music its members want. That endgame spawned itself throughout the setlist, with the spectrum of fast and loose rock to moody and ambitious synth soundscapes allowing for a vast variety through the nearly two-hour performance.

Nearing the end of the show, Haines did take time to address just how far the band had come since its roots in the late ’90s. The born-to-be rockstar, clad in a blue dress and blonde hair in a punked-out frazzle, came down from her musical high to simply thank the fans. Indeed, all of the heart-pounding energy really couldn’t have been possible if the connection between every individual in the house wasn’t palpable. In reality, all the best bands know this truth. Few have the courage to put it to the test and ultimately prove its power like Metric.

(Photos of Metric and Secret Machines by Jonny Leather)