It’s election day. You’ve done your patriotic duty, and you wait anxiously for the votes to be counted, hoping that the United States will take a step in the right direction. Now what? There’s no better way to spend election day night night than with Toronto hardcore sextet, Fucked Up. And although it may initially seem unintuitive to celebrate American democracy with a bunch of Canadian punks, Fucked Up’s years of creating thoughtful and politically-pointed music makes them the perfect act for the occasion.
Opening up the night were fellow Toronto punks, Bad Waitress. Led by Kali-Ann Butala on lead vocals, the four women dished out a buffet of high-voltage songs including “Let’s Get Fucked Up!” and “Acid Brain.” They ended their set in all-out chaos, as guitarist Katelyn Molgard and Butala played the last song back-to-back, playfully pushing up against each other and bumping elbows until one of the women hooked an arm around the other and they both fell laughing to the floor.
Next up was Richmond, Virginia hardcore band, Candy, who recently signed to Boston’s Triple B Records following the September release of their latest album, Good To Feel. Embracing the shift from punk to hardcore, the crowd quickly opened up the pit, and fans began bouncing off the walls under the dark red light. Strobes flashed as singer Zak Quiram stalked back and forth across the stage like a wildcat, and the rest of the band laid down furiously fast rhythms and heavy breakdowns.
By the time Candy finished their set, the edges mosh pit had gone from clearly delineated to completely blurred. And by the time Fucked Up started, so was the line between the stage and the crowd. The moment he stepped on stage, vocalist Damian Abraham launched into “David Comes to Life,” leaning out over the crowd and growling into the microphone. Balancing out Abraham’s over-the-top presence, architect and vocalist/guitarist Mike Haliechuck loomed in the shadows on the right side of the stage with the equally reserved Josh Zucker, while the slightly more animated bassist Sandy Miranda and guitarist Ben Cook held down the left, and drummer Jonah Falco sat comfortably in the center behind his kit.
Highlights from their setlist included tracks spanning across their nearly two decades long career, with classics like “I Hate Summer” and “Son the Father” mixed in with material off their latest album, Dose Your Dreams, such as “Raise Your Voice Joyce” and “Tell Me What You See.” Another standout moment from their performance was when Haliechuck stepped into the spotlight to sing on “Dose Your Dreams,” showcasing the band’s ability to thrive even without Abraham’s iconic vocals. In addition to Haliechuck, many of the other members contributed to both lead and backing vocals, including Cook, who shared the role with Abraham for a song.
Towards the end of the set, Abraham took a moment to speak to the crowd, touching upon topics like suicide and the general state of affairs in both American and Canadian politics. He urged the crowd to speak up and take action to prevent suicide, and to do their part to help make the world a better place. On a lighter side, Abraham brought up Texas Democrat Beto O’Rourke’s punk past, teasing how if Beto won his way to the White House, he’d need a band to play at his inauguration.
After returning for a rowdy two-song encore of “Accelerate” and “The Other Shoe,” most of the band disappeared backstage, while Abraham remained behind to mingle. Rolling off of the floor and out into the crowd, Abraham happily spent time talking to each and every one of his fans that came up to him, doling out hugs, sharing small talk, and snapping selfies.
See below for photos from the show (in order: Fucked Up, Candy, Bad Waitress):