Ultra Q and Liily opened for the alternative rock headliners, making for a night of diverse sound.
A large crowd of bodies cram together around the stage with fog and swirling colorful lights filling the space. Everyone was waiting eagerly to hear the headliner for the evening, small indie rock group, Bad Suns. Bad Suns was formed in 2012 and has released three albums as well as multiple singles. Their most recent album, “Mystic Truth” was released on March 22, 2019 and has launched the Away We Go tour.
The band played at Cain’s Ballroom on Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m.. Doors opened at 6:30 p.m. with a line forming to get into the venue. Most of the attendees were younger, with many TU students in the crowd. The concert started with two openers the first of which, Ultra Q, took the stage around 8 p.m. and played a few songs from their first and brand new EP, “We’re Starting to Get Along.” Their sound varied from a more indie pop sound to straight up screaming rock.
After about twenty minutes and a brief intermission for set changes, the second opener, Liily, began their performance. Liily is classified as more of a traditional rock group with screaming, loud drums, impressive guitar solos and an overwhelmingly loud sound. The frontman, Dylan Nash, would regularly come to the edge of the stage and stare out into the audience for long periods of time. Their music was much more unsettling than both Ultra Q and Bad Suns. Liily played for longer than Ultra Q and eventually left the stage around 9:30 p.m.
The headliner, Bad Suns, took the stage at 10 p.m. and opened with, “Away We Go,” an upbeat and popular song from their newest album. The diversity of their setlist was surprising and well received among the crowd. They played many of their well known hit songs such as, “Cardiac Arrest,” “Salt” and “Daft Pretty Boys.” The crowd danced, sang and jumped to the music with many cues from lead vocalist, Christo Bowman.
Bowman did a wonderful job of keeping the crowd engaged by speaking between songs and encouraging dance and activity. He even walked into the crowd at one point, being supported by the audience holding his feet and hands for a “closer look,” as he described. This occured multiple times during the show with various sections of the audience and was always well received by the crowd. The most impressive part of this was that he continued to sing perfectly despite being unstable.
The setlist was masterfully crafted because it was synthesised of their oldest music, such as their first single, “Transpose,” and their new album. It was a highlight reel of their entire discography meaning old and new fans alike could enjoy the show. At one point during the show, the entire concert was put on hold so the audience could sing “Happy Birthday” to bass player Gavin Bennett while the band brought him a cupcake with a lit candle to blow out.
The energy of the music and performers were upbeat, happy and carefree allowing for the audience and band to have an enjoyable night. Cain’s allowed for an intimate setting for the music to be performed and for the audience to connect with the band itself. The band concluded with the song, “One Magic Moment,” which was a cathartic ending to the night.
