Sam Roberts Band – The Commodore Ballroom – February 27, 2015

Night one of a two-night stint at the good ol’ Commodore Ballroom for national treasure the Sam Roberts Band! It’s been nearly a decade since they graced this particular stage in Vancouver, which is hard to believe. I’ve had the good fortune of being acquainted with these guys for about 13 years now, and they have always been wonderful characters offstage, and downright dangerous on. The energy they hurl forth simply doesn’t stop all night, a feature which resonates with the crowd, who are equally as rambunctious. The audience tonight was incredibly cheery, dancing with their neighbours, fist-pumping, hand-waving, drink-lifting, arm-in-arm, they flung the love right back at the band on stage (aside from two dudes who,separately, had to be tackled by about 5 security guards a piece and stole the show for a brief time). I was grinning ear to ear while wandering the room after shooting, just seeing how these guys affect people and how well loved they are. It was a beautiful thing to behold, and having been a small part of the journey from then til now, I am terribly proud of them and their team. This set was loud, fun, stylish, including a big cross-section of  their material, all coordinated to a killer light show, including a planned intermission/encore piece. Every time I see them, I am blown away a little more at the marriage of polished and raw they manage to convey, and how they’ve kept that energy up so consistently for so long. I was unable to attend the second night, but here’s hoping it was just as grand. Thanks for having me out, folks.