I will possess your heart

Artist: Death Cab for Cutie & Metric

Date: March 22, 2016

Venue: Meridian Centre

City: St Catharines

Price: $50.00

Seats: Section 106

Genre: Indie Rock / Electronic

Overview:

Let me start by saying I love Ben Gibbard in all his forms - as part of the Postal Service, as a solo artist and as the lead singer in Death Cab for Cutie. I just want to pet his hair and tell him everything is going to be fine. I started watching old youtube videos of the Postal Service immediately after the show. This show supported Death Cab’s new album “Kintsugi” that has the singles The Ghosts of Beverly Drive and Black Sun.

Ron and I have been listening to the Canadian electronic rock band Metric since the release of Live it Out in 2006. I remember when he first played “Combat Baby” I was thrilled the writing style and punky electronic sound. We’ve seen Metric a few times now (in Kitchener at the Centre in the Square and opening for City & Colour at Butler’s Barracks in NOTL) and they never disappoint. I am huge fan of Emily’s fashion and one of my goals is to own a pair of legs like hers. This show was part of the Pagans in Vegas tour released last September. Check out the singles “Lie, Lie, Lie” and “The Shade”.

Vibe:

I bet it can be difficult to be a rock n’ roll star these days. A lot of new generation music lovers have the attention span of a squirrel crossing the road. I am always saddened to see concert goers constantly checking their phones and taking selfies, rather than just grooving with the music. I read a good article recently about the people who talk during concerts. The author based this theory on an assumption that we are faced with an epidemic of “People With Enough Disposable Income To Ignore The Event They Paid For”. I watched fellow concert goers come and go from their seats around us enough to know that they likely didn’t care if they were there or not. I thought the Metric performance had a better overall vibe and received more direct attention from the crowd. At this show, there were a few die-hards in the crowd who were dancing with reckless abandon on the floor, but, from my view most seemed pretty sedate.

Venue:

This was my first concert at the Meridian Centre in St Catharines. I am not a huge fan of arena shows, but, I think this was the best choice with the winter date and the popularity of the bands. Parking was a bit of a nightmare as downtown St Catharines was jammed for the event. The set times were brutally early. Death Cab came on at 7:30pm and Metric took the stage at 9:15pm.

As an avid concert goer I find it weird watching the band go on when it is still light outside.

We had side view seats in section 106. I enjoyed having a seat for Death Cab, but, I would have preferred to be on the floor during Metric so I could dance. Overall, the sound was good, but, I would have preferred if the venue had added jumbo screens on each side of the stage so that we could see the bands up close.

Highlights:

The whole Death Cab set was solid. Ben Gibbard was fantastic and danced around the stage in his boyish 80s way that is adorable. There wasn’t much banter from Ben which was fine. The backdrop was a cool mish mash of the letters in the name of the band. As a word person I thought it was plainly cool. Here is a quick link to Why I’m Lonely – Live in St Catharines

The Metric light show was fantastic. The set list was a really good mix of new stuff from Pagans in Vegas, old hits and acoustic singalong with the crowd. Emily Haines was stunning in a neon green cape that blew around her during “Cascades” (see it here in this link to concert video). She also brought out a local choir to help sing “Dream so Real”. The highlights of the night were the confetti filled arena during the performance of “Breathing Under Water” and the crowd singalong for “Gimme Sympathy”.

My fav tunes were:

• Help I’m Alive

• Youth without youth

• Cascades

• Gimme Sympathy

• Breathing Underwater

Tips/Notes:

If you’re going to the Meridian Centre, and you want to sit, try to get immediate stage right or left …those sections looked like they were the most enjoyable and had the best views of the stage. Go early to get parking. Stay late and have a drink downtown afterwards – there are lots of great spots to imbibe.

Metric Set List:

IOU

Help I’m Alive

Youth without youth

Twilight Galaxy

Cascades

Too bad, so sad

Artificial Nocturne

Dreams so Real

Sick Muse

Collect Call

Other Side

Black Sheep

Synthetica

Gold Guns Girls (with acapella “Co

mbat Baby” intro)

The Shade

Encore:

Celebrate

Gimme Sympathy (acoustic with crowd sing alondg)

Breathing Underwater (with acoustic intro and crowd sing along)

Death Cab Set List:

No Room in Frame

Crooked Teeth

Black Sun

The New Year

Ghosts of Beverly Drive

Company Calls

Little Wandered

I Will Possess Your Heart

Why I’m Lonely (cover)

A Movie Script Ending

Doors Unlocked and Open

You are a Tourist

Cath…

Soul Meets Body

Bixby Canyon Bridge