Featuring The Killers, Alvvays, Lights & Said The Whale
Despite the wet, misty weather on June 29, the final day of Halifax Music Fest drew a huge crowd to the Garrison Grounds alongside Citadel Hill. Fans turned up to catch performances by Said the Whale, Lights, Alvvays, and headliners The Killers.
First to set the tone for the evening was Vancouver indie rock band Said The Whale. Kicking off their set with “This City’s a Mess,” Said the Whale kept the energy going with a handful of fan favourites, alternating lead vocals between vocalists Ben Worcester and Tyler Bancroft. Highlights included performances of “I Will Follow You” and “Wake Up,” before closing out with their hit “I Love You.”
Next up was Canadian alt electro-pop rock musician Lights, who has evolved into a genre-blending force since first stepping on the scene in 2008 with early hits “Drive My Soul” and “February Air.” Opening her high-energy set with “Damage”– the lead single from her newest album A6, also known for its music video, where she cuts her hair into the short style she now sports. The set was a mix of older favourites like “Siberia” and “Running With The Boys,” alongside newer tracks “Surface Tension, “Okay Okay,” and “Alive Again.” One of the night’s most memorable moments came during “Love Me,” when Lights climbed down to the front barricade and, with the help of a fan, stood on the fence to belt out the lyrics to the crowd.
As the misty rain picked up a bit, I was unfortunately unable to photograph the next act – Canadian indie pop band Alvvays, who delivered a set which felt like a dream. The band opened their set with “Pharmacist,” the lead track from their 2022 album Blue Rev. The night’s setlist mixed older fan favourites like “Archie, Marry Me” and “Dreams Tonite” with newer standouts such as “After the Earthquake” and “Tile by Tile.” Adding a special local touch, Alvvays also paid tribute to Halifax rock legends Sloan with a cover of “I Am the Cancer.”
Up next were the night’s long-awaited headliners and the band everyone had been eager to see…THE KILLERS! Also paying a local tribute to Sloan, The Killers opened with a shortened cover of “Underwhelmed,” before launching into their own classic, “When You Were Young.” Frontman Brandon Flowers even kicked off his boots to give us his all, so he wouldn’t slip on the rain-covered stage. Over the course of an hour and a half, the Las Vegas rockers treated the crowd to a stacked setlist featuring hits like “Somebody Told Me,” “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine,” and “All These Things That I’ve Done,” which sparked an epic crowd sing-along during the iconic bridge (“I got soul but I’m not a soldier”). The encore kicked off with “The Man,” complete with custom Killers one-million-dollar American bills that showered the crowd. The night closed on a high note with a performance of “Human” and the highly anticipated anthem “Mr. Brightside,” which continued to have everyone singing and dancing along.
