Metric, Richard's On Richards

I wonder sometimes, do other people feel this way about shows I dislike? I had a great time at the Metric show tonight. At some points, the vocalist made me cringe. She's a hot girl and she knows it, and she works it. But, anyone who works it by sticking her tongue out and yanking her miniskirt down unceremoniously is okay by me.

Although, shaking your head to create vocal vibrato is funny once, but definitely not four times in one song, and at least six times more in the set. She definitely has stage presence, and I appreciate a female vocalist running around like a crazy person to entertain the audience, because it just doesn't happen that much.

Metric played everything off their album plus at least two new songs. I love 'Calculation (Theme)' but it's a very quiet and potentially mood-killer of a song, so I was pleasantly surprised by the addition of drums and bass in the live version. Too many bands I've seen lately have repeated exactly their album songs without consideration of how they would translate live. It was really nice to see a band who obviously actively thought about the experience it creates.

It's a problem, in this city, how people watch bands. We tend to just stand there. Maybe it's the weed, maybe it's the attitude, but we're infamous for just standing and watching. The vocalist hit it on the head when she yelled at us when they played 'Dead Disco' last, "It doesn't fucking matter." Usually when we're yelled at to dance, everyone stands stock still - reacting to the insult. This time, and it's the first time I've ever seen this, the audience all started dancing. Everyone. It was amazing. That never happens in Vancouver.

No band I've seen in the last few weeks would I bother seeing again, and that includes Franz Ferdinand, Broken Social Scene, The Stills, Cooper Temple Clause. I'm glad I went, but I wouldn't bother going again. Metric, however, knows how to entertain and I'd go again.

Opening band was local, The Organ. I didn't see them this time because I've seen them many times before. They're nothing particularly new, and from the general opinion of everyone I spoke to they haven't improved any. Ah well.

Photos from Liz, taken at the Double Door in Chicago on February 10, 2004.