Sugarcult
W/ The Pink Spiders, Damone, Meg & Dia
Nov 21, 2006
The Opera House

As many fans of the pop punk scene came in to catch Sugarcult and company at the Opera House, I couldn’t help but feel old. With roughly 90% of the crowd having attended a high school class earlier in the day, I knew that I would have attention at a premium from the bartender should this show make me want a drink at some point. I also couldn’t help but wonder if the crowd here was or wasn’t people that couldn’t get +44 tickets.

Meg and Dia kicked off the show but the crowd didn’t really seem to notice. Blank faces stared at the sisters and their supporting band while they played harder than Tegan and Sara ever will. Dia has some really strong vocals and showcased them. She also managed to tell a horrible joke about washing her clothes in a bathroom. Maybe the second time they come to Canada, she’ll have something better.

Damone came on next and looked as metal as you could. The only problem is that they only looked metal and failed to deliver on playing good metal. What may be good for 1980’s metal style doesn’t necessarily translate into good metal now. They also didn’t close with, arguably, their most popular song, “Out Here All Night,” opting to play it second to last.

After the break, The Pink Spiders earned the award for being the first band to get some crowd reaction on the night. With the energy turned up in the crowd and an overuse of a fog machine (with the worst smelling fog I’ve experienced) the band rocked very hard. I don’t get their appeal, probably because I’m not in high school.

The first thing noticeable about Sugarcult when you see them nowadays is how badly they have aged. It is understandable that they have been around since 1998, but singer Tim Pagnotta looks older than he probably should. Or maybe he needs a new make up artist. The crowd went crazy for the band as they rightfully should; they have paid money to see them. Playing a lot of material off of their latest release Lights Out, the band also brought out their heavy hitters like “Memory” and “Pretty Girl (The Way).” They were even joined by Meg (of Meg and Dia) for a track.

In a touch of irony and a sign that they weren’t really equipped to play north of the border, their set seemed to centre at “Stuck In America.” Complete with flashing red, white and blue lights, a banner change and a sing along, awkward may be the only way to describe the way this song was put forward.

After playing their set, the band thanked the crowd and walked off stage expecting the crowd to call them back for an encore. The problem was that nobody really started chanting and a stage hand didn’t turn off the spotlights. So, as planned, warranted or not, Sugarcult played a two song encore, closing with “Bouncing Off The Walls.”


- Dan Bilicki

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