Dance Gavin Dance Live: A Unique experience in 2022
It’s been a difficult year for Dance Gavin Dance, to say the least, but if there’s a band that can power through adversity and keep a positive attitude throughout, it’s this band. With the recent passing of longtime bassist Tim Feerick and the swift stepping away of vocalist Tilian Pearson, it was anybodies guess as to how their 10th studio album Jackpot Juicer would be received and how they would handle their recently announced An Evening With Friends Tour. But there’s a reason Dance Gavin Dance have survived a myriad of lineup changes and remained one of the most relevant bands in the scene; a passion for music and their loyal fanbase.
We were able to catch the swancore staples Royal Coda and the iconic Dance Gavin Dance on the An Evening With Friends Tour in Toronto, ON and if there’s one thing to take away from their performance, it’s the insanely talented pool of musicians that compose both acts. With both bands coming hot off the heels of a new album - Royal Coda having just released To Only A Few At First and Dance Gavin Dance having just released Jackpot Juicer - there was an energy fuelling each and every member that can only come from the anticipation and payoff of a new release. While some were skeptical about how Jackpot Juicer would stack up in comparison to Dance Gavin Dance’s large back catalogue, it was their highest charting album to date, peaking at #8 on the Billboard 200 and selling more than 33,500 albums in its week. An accomplishment for any band, but especially one suffering the losses they have over this passed year.
Royal Coda played a quick, but fulfilling 7-track set, featuring new anthems in “We Slowly Lose Hope for Things to Come” and “Screen Time Overload,” while mixing in some fan-favourites, such as “Numbing Agent” and “Even If.” Frontman Kurt Travis lended his infectious melodies to the prototypical swancore riffs of Sergio Medina and Will Swan, the definitive powerhouse duo of the genre. An Evening With Friends was a unique experience, as all three members would lend their musical talents to the Dance Gavin Dance set soon to follow. Closing out the set with “Cut Me Under,” the band was met with thunderous applause, while the buzz for Dance Gavin Dance would slowly build amongst the crowd.
With the lights dropping and the banners of each of Dance Gavin Dance’s 10 studio albums lining the stage, the crowd burst into chaos. With each member of band taking the stage to a growing wall of noise from the crowd, the lights flickered on and the California 6-piece crashed into the Downtown Battle Mountain anthem in “And I Told Them I Invented Times New Roman.” There’s an obvious elephant in the room in that the band was no longer fronted by Tilian Pearson, an incredibly unique voice to be replaced. In his absence, Eidola frontman Andrew Wells took on the difficult task. While he was certainly not a one-to-one replacement for the entirety of the set, Wells handled the position with incredible grace. No stranger to a crowd, the dual vocals of Wells and Jon Mess were well-received by the entire crowd in Toronto.
Without a moment to waste, Dance Gavin Dance smashed into the fan-favourite “Chucky vs. The Giant Tortoise” from 2016’s Mothership, before transitioning into Jackpot Juicer lead single “Synergy.” It was an unforgettable set, featuring at least one track from every single studio album. While some bands reach a point in their career where they move away from their earlier material, Dance Gavin Dance embraces their discography to play to fans new and old alike. After a few tracks, including 2011’s “Pounce Bounce” and 2013’s “Acceptance Speech,” the band was joined by Kurt Travis to perform “Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most” and “Carl Barker,” a much welcomed surprise. Without spoiling the remainder of the setlist, it was an iconic 15-track set that featured some of the best Dance Gavin Dance material the band has to offer, as well as some unexpected deep cuts.
While this band is not the same as they were a year ago, they delivered a passionate and unique experience to be remembered. Only a few shows still remain on the An Evening With Friends Tour, but we should expect to see this band again very soon!