Incubus
W/ The Bravery, Simon Dawes
August 2, 2007
Molson Amphitheatre

Fans get cranky when bands cancel or postpone shows under the best of circumstances but when Incubus postponed their Toronto concert on two separate occasions (once when singer Brandon Boyd was sick in February and again when guitarist Mike Einziger went in for Carpal Tunnel surgery in May), people were seriously starting to wonder if there would ever finally be a Toronto event. So with this in mind, I headed out to the venue hoping the band would show up. Luckily for everyone, they did. And so did the fans. Unfortunately for the opening bands, who really didn’t fit all that well with Incubus, the fans only cared about the headliners, showing little attention to the bands playing before them. Which is really too bad, because both The Bravery and the all but unknown Simon Dawes performed solid sets.

Newcomers Simon Dawes (a band, not a person) showed off their mix of catchy, poppy indie rock songs and the slightly more alt-country sound. With at least one band member barely able to drink in Toronto, they seemed seasoned enough as a band, with the guitarists sharing main vocal duties at times. With a little help from Mike Einziger on one song, the band caught some attention from the crowd but would probably be better suited going on tour with Blue Rodeo or My Morning Jacket.

I’m not an overly huge fan of anything recorded by The Bravery and people kept telling me I should expect them to be boring. But everyone was apparently wrong and they won me over with their danceable songs and catchy choruses. Frontman Sam Endicott’s Robert Smith-esque vocals and Quentin Tarantino like moves kept me entertained but didn’t stir a whole lot of emotion from the crowd. And when one moron in the crowd called out for The Killers, I was left wondering if all the previous drama surrounding the band left them a more negative image than anyone actually thought. That aside, the crowd perked up considerably when they played the hits “Time Won’t Let Me Go,” (which Endicott mentioned was about the chick in The Outsiders) and “An Honest Mistake.” Why there weren’t more people dancing to the latter is beyond me, but to anyone who said they were boring, go see them next time you get the chance, they’ll prove you wrong.

Incubus hit the stage only about five minutes late, to fans that would chant at the end of every song the P.A. played during set up. There was no doubt that people were way past ready to see this band. Opening their set with the first track on their latest album Light Grenades, Incubus barrelled through most of their hits, some fan favourites and enough newer tracks that no one in Toronto had seen live yet.

With two long jam sessions during “Pistola” and “Sick Sad Little World,” it showed beyond reason why Incubus has consistently sold out tours for almost a decade. And why their fanbase is so dedicated. Frontman Brandon Boyd kept the talking to a minimum, saying only, ‘they were sorry it took them so long to get here,’ and after a particularly interesting S.C.I.E.N.C.E. fave “Vitamin,” saying they’ve been playing that song for a very long time in Toronto bars.’

During “Drive,” in which Boyd’s harmonies with bassist Ben Kenney were pretty much perfect, it was the crowd you could hear more than anyone onstage. And when he stood back and let them sing, it must’ve been some kind of moment for him, because his face lit up like a Christmas tree. Boyd’s sheer charisma onstage, not to mention some interesting dancing during instrumental breaks, are part of the reason that both girls and guys love this band. He literally did nothing but stand there and girls were screaming left and right.

With Einziger barely back in action, Incubus’ set has been cut short so he can take it easy on his hand, which in a way is too bad for those people who just wanted more songs from the band, but if people hadn’t been talking about it, you would’ve never known there was anything wrong with him. Which just speaks volumes about his abilities as a guitarist. With the rest of the band as tight as he was, Incubus should be way bigger than they actually are but as we all know, talent doesn’t always equal fame.

Regardless of how famous Incubus actually are, that night they were the most loved band ever. And clearly worth waiting for. Maybe we should get a second date sometime soon just so they can make it up to us. Ok, maybe they already did.


Incubus Set List:

Quicksand
A Kiss To Send Us Off
Wish You Were Here
Anna Molly
Pistola
Vitamin
Love Hurts
Drive
Megalomaniac
Have You Ever
Sick Sad Little World
Echo
Oil And Water
Dig

Encore:

Are You In?
Aqueous Transmission 


- Alyssa Caplin


For more photos from the concert click here...