Silversun Pickups

12-May-2007 12:48 AM

Contributed by: pete

Concert Reviews

Phoenix in Toronto, Ontario

Silversun Pickups
Sea Wolf

May 9, 2007

Photos and Review by: Pete Nema

Full Photo Set (14 photos)

The Silversun Pickups have a great formula, whether it's on purpose or not I'm unsure, but it works like this: They've produced a catchy, radio-friendly album to get people into their music and out to the concerts, and then they follow-up on stage with a surprisingly powerful and decidedly rougher-than-in-studio performance. Brian Aubert (vocals, guitar) took the stage with full-force playing up to the audience almost immediately. His vocals stressing to the point of purposefully-raunchy, but all within the bounds of good alternative rock.

After 45 minutes of a very magnetic performance, they lead the audience into a version of Lazy Eye with an arrangement designed for adrenaline. If you listen to the studio version, there are verses that you can hear hints of the energy that will emerge throughout the stage production. There are points where I was thinking an appropriate description for Aubert's style would be to say he was like a happy Kurt Cobain, but I'm not sure it's an entirely appropriate portrayal. But even if inappropriate, it should give you a loose feel for what you can expect from a Silversun Pickups show.

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