While their set was in the middle of the show, it's hard to not talk about Broken Social Scene as the anchor for the All the Feelings Tour. Yes, Metric planned the tour and got the booking done, but the three Canadian indie rock vets feel centered around Social Scene. The band has always been about a sense of community with members drifting in and out of the band, popping up for various songs on albums, joining for part of tours, all while being in other bands too. Broken Social Scene doesn't feel like anybody's side project, but rather a sense of home and community that keeps drawing people back. Members of Stars and Metric, Amy Millan and Emily Haines, respectively, have had their time in BSS and in some cases are the voices behind the most beloved hits (more on that to come) so in some ways, it's actually surprising this kind of tour hasn't happened before. If some of your friends are going on tour, why not join them and play all of your favorite songs together? The power-pop presence of Stars opened the night, their heavy synth work got the crowd moving and their energetic tunes were the perfect way to kick off the night. Swelling tracks were enlivened by Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan's dueling vocals that joined together for boisterous harmonies that paved the way for the night ahead. Campbell spoke out about moving to New York to start their band and how they were all arrested during the Bloomberg administration for playing in spaces that weren't designated show spaces. "I'd been in the band for six weeks and we all got arrested" Millan chimed in before declaring how that made her know this was the thing to be doing. Of course ending the set with their impassioned "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" sealed the deal and pushed the night into hyperdrive with excitement about to hit fever pitch. As the members of Broken Social Scene piled onto the stage, there were four guitarists (including one with a double-neck) lined-up like soldiers heading into battle as they began "Cause=Time" and shortly settled into their illustrious groove and anthems of positivity and hope. Naturally, "7/4 (Shoreline)" allowed even more people to pack the stage (I'm pretty sure I counted 18 people at one point) as an elite horn section assembled to bring the track home in all its glory. The band's de-facto leader Kevin Drew also spoke about how special the tour has been for them and how getting to be back together with so many friends has made it such an amazing experience and it really felt like they were playing each track as if it could be the last time. The emotions were high and these songs all carry such a weight that any one of them could've been their grand finale, but instead the show played like a greatest hits record. Amy Millan joined them on stage to help fill in for Feist's vocals on "Hug of Thunder" and Torquil Campbell joined in for "Fire Eye'd Boy" - another thrilling track that was soaring with energy and unlimited euphoria. The stage was filled to the brim again as Emily Haines and the rest of Metric joined for what was probably the biggest hit of the night and the one that most people in the crowd had been waiting for ages to actually hear in its proper format (to be honest, they probably should've saved this one for the actual end of the night, but I digress). As Haines grabbed the mic and the opening notes to "Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl" the crowd let out a rapturous cry of joy and it felt like every person in the room was chanting the lyrics back at the band, hearts full and tears streaming down faces. They dedicated the last song of the set, "Ibi Dreams of Pavement," to the late Glen Hansard for another emotional moment before they all left the stage to make way for Metric. While the first two sets could've been headlining acts in their own right (and BSS really did feel like they drew the biggest crowd of the three), Metric owned their slot with punching lights and a fully polished sound that confirmed their status as a totally righteous and powerful band. Their slick production made their hits sound massive and Haines worked the crowd with perfect style and her urgent vocals took over the grand ballroom. "Antigravity" was a mesmerizing track that showcased the band's brightest talents and when the other bands joined them all on stage again, it was once again clear just how much fun they all seem to be having playing together every night. Haines also shared her stories about living in Williamsburg and running through McCarren Park back in the day and the love of New York was apparent throughout the night. "Combat Baby" was a sensational end of their main set, but when they returned for "Help I'm Alive," their star power hit its peak and the crowd was ready to eat it up. Years in the making, the night felt like the culmination of so many friends coming together to live through music that has inspired so many in various stages of life. If only every show could capture all of these feelings.
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