The last time Unleash the Archers were in Toronto was 2015. Having only started listening to them this year, I wouldn't let this chance at The Velvet Underground pass me by.
It felt like a Monday: cold, raining, depressing weather, and tiring to stand in line. The crowd, which arrived quickly, was quiet.
That is, till Lutharo came on stage. They brought the place to life; their presence and great sound evident from the start. I was most impressed and you could tell these guys know their stuff. They seemed so comfortable up there, just having fun, rubbing beards and touching nipples. It was fun for us to watch, too. Also, vocalist Krista Shipperbottom absolutely killed it. She sang each song with the power to shake the stage. I stood there, right up front and felt it all. She only got stronger through the set as the crowd warmed up to it, which didn't take long. I had seen them in the past, and this was their best performance to date. Will definitely be seeing them again.
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| Lovely Lutharo |
After picking up some Lutharo merch, we headed back into the dense crowd, now obligated to stand by the wall about twice as far as we were before. Not to mention that the Tallest Man On Earth
™ stood in front of us, loving Striker with vivid passion and nearly blocking my view. They stormed in with wrath and guns blazing and the most catchy first song. Actually, their whole set was catchy, and they had this classic thrash metal vibe to them. Though it was a good set, I did feel though that it was about 1000 songs too long. They pumped us up plenty, but I think about how we could have maybe benefited from a longer Lutharo set? Or maybe even more from Unleash the Archers? Not too much to nitpick on though, they're a great band! Would love to see them again, too.
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| Striking Striker |
My buddy and I struggled to reach the front of the stage for UTA, but we managed, impolitely packed between other fans. We didn't wait long after Striker, and an industrial track played loudly through the venue to start them off. I liked it, I love industrial, it works for me, and it was a longer version of the intro to their first song, "Awakening." The band entered one by one, and Britney Slayes, the vocalist, of course came in last. She looked fabulous, The Matriarch, in a tight, black outfit and wicked coat. The
set was absolutely perfect, each song very carefully selected and executed to perfection. I watched Britney surge with power, close enough to feel her ready to explode. She maintained the same intensity through the whole set and made it look effortless. It was so intense and as I think back about it, I felt truly elevated seeing them that night. There's something that happens to me when I watch live music sometimes, and the last time this happened was when I saw Issues. That is, I only casually used to listen to UTA, but after seeing them live I've listened to Apex on repeat with a different set of ears. I'm so happy I got to see this gifted band, and though I'm being repetitive now, next time they're in town I'll be right there to see it all again.
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| Unbelievable Unleash The Archers |
