Alvvays & Slow Pulp
December 15, 2022
History, Toronto, ON
Canadian indie-pop band Alvvays made their long-awaited return to the stage in Toronto on December 15th and 16th, both of which were sold out. Toronto is more of a home away from home for the band as they are originally from the maritime province of Prince Edward Island, which is on the far east coast of Canada. Not long before the band saw their explosion of popularity, they had all moved to Toronto, so the city holds a special place for them and their musical journey. The group who are known for their unique blend of lo-fi, alt-rock, and dream wave, have been touring this year since their latest album release titled Blue Rev, which is also the name of the tour. The majority of the dates for the 2022 leg of the tour have taken place in the USA, but it was only right Alvvays would wrap up the year and come home to play at the newest music venue in Toronto HISTORY.
Alvvays would enlist the American indie band Slow Pulp as the opening act for both nights, as they have been touring together a lot this year already. The first concert on December 15th would be partially hindered by a huge snowstorm in the area, so there were some people making jokes on social media that fans would need snowmobiles to make it to the shows over the weekend. Thankfully the storm didn’t turn out to be as bad as suggested by the news stations as the area around HISTORY didn’t get any snow at all and just saw an abundance of rain and some ice. Threats of extreme weather wasn’t enough to cancel the concerts and not nearly enough to stop loyal Alvvays fans like myself from making our way to the venue. Slow Pulp would kick off the show on time with their brand of indie rock, which would be pleasantly received by the crowd already in the venue and those still filing in.
Personally, I have been following this band since their first self-titled album back in 2014, so when the band first came out to take their spots on the stage, I was a bit star-struck for a moment – especially to see Molly Rankin standing a few feet from me. Once the music started, I would begin my photography while also taking in the first three songs, which would contain two new songs, “Pharmacist” and the new single “After The Earth Quake,” as well as 2017’s “In Undertow.” During the amazing performance of “After The Earth Quake,” I could literally feel the melody vibrating through my body from the front, and I could audibly hear the fans behind me singing the lyrics along with Molly. The band’s set would consist mostly of songs off the new album, but they also mixed in some old favorites for the fans, such as “Archie, Marry Me, “Adult Diversion,” and “Dreams Tonite.” Between songs, Molly would take some time to talk about the pandemic and the lockdowns that saw the postponement of all live music, which would appropriately lead into a performance of the song “Party Police.”
Since it is the “Blue Rev Tour,” the band would go on to perform new songs such as “Very Online Guy,” “Tom Verlaine,” “Belinda Says,” and the live debut of “Bored In Bristol.” Alvvays would take advantage of the venue’s modern lighting and HD video screen behind the stage, which would project various color patterns as well as the lo-fi, double mirror reflection effect seen in the “In Undertow” music video that most fans would know. During the song “After the Earthquake,” the screen played the music video visualizer that featured the old VHS footage of the vintage car driving down a dirt road. The combination of the sights and sounds would leave us all in the audience with a hypnotic feeling. The band would finish off the night with a two-song encore which was the 2014 fan favourite “Atop A Cake” and “Lottery Noises.” What’s next for Alvvays? The Blue Rev tour is scheduled to continue in 2023, with show dates across Canada starting in March, and a European tour is on the card starting in May, so check them out when they get to your area.
Slow Pulp
Alvvays
