Canadian band Marianas Trench shook TD Place arena on Nov. 18, making their fans and the floor jump to the music as part of their Last Crusade Canadian tour.
This Vancouver rock band knows how to jam—in the most Canadian way possible. After every song, lead singer Josh Ramsay thanked the audience continuously, usually as the lights faded between songs.
But before the main attraction, there were the special guests. Repartee opened the show at 7 p.m. with an upbeat song that set the excited tone for the rest of the night. There was lots of hair-flipping involved.
Following Repartee was pop singer-songwriter Shawn Hook, who appeared onstage in a burst of music and spotlight. After playing one of his songs on the piano, he ventured into more popular hits like “Relapse” and “Who Do You Love?”
When he wasn’t singing, he was charming the pants off of everyone in the audience with his smile and genuine persona, introducing each of his band members and complimenting them endlessly. Even the cliché knock-over-the-piano-stool was genuine. The crowd seemed to get more and more excited with each act and Hook in particular was a joy to watch.
After a brief intermission, the time had come. One by one, rows and rows of fans got to their feet in anticipation.
Holding glowing blue instruments, the members of Marianas Trench marched onstage to roaring applause. The first song, “Astoria,” started with an explosion of flashing lights, a wind machine, a fog machine, and a shirtless Ramsay.
The band played a variety of songs from three of their albums, Masterpiece Theatre, Ever After, and 2015’s Astoria. The crowd was enthusiastic, dancing and waving their phones to the slower songs, and screaming “I love you” at breaks in the music.
Some of the highlights included Ramsay running throughout the stadium, going up into the stands and back down again, trailed by two guards, as fans swarmed him, reaching out to touch him when he got close enough.
Never touch someone’s pants unless invited, Ramsay jokingly warned.
Another highlight was when musician and producer Royce Whittaker joined the band onstage near the end, shredding on an electric guitar in an impressive solo.
Overall, Marianas Trench kept the crowd entertained, whether it was with pop tunes, band anecdotes, or sing-alongs. Different members constantly encouraged the fans to clap or sway to the music. Interactivity was a big part of the show, which kept the audience on their toes—literally.
The show closed with the song “Cross My Heart” to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their first big radio hit, followed by a couple more picks from their latest album and a return to the glowing instruments, bringing everything back full circle.
