Marianas Trench with Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine
Kitchener Aud
Kitchener, Ontario
March 9, 2019
All photos by Paul Barrie
©2019. Please DO NOT copy or use without permission.
Review By Heather Ducharme
Marianas Trench performed at the Kitchener Aud on March 9, with the duo Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine as tour openers.
Jamie Fine can wail! Her onstage presence is phenomenal, and the emotion and enthusiasm she brings to her shows is well worth the ticket price for this tour. The chemistry and friendship between her and Elijah is electric. Any person that is a fan of amazing singer- songwriters should see these two live at least once – the recordings they have released do not do their abilities justice.
Suspending Gravity is an apt title for Marianas Trench’s tour across Canada and the United States in the tour promoting the album Phantoms (released March 2019). The great news for MT fans is that the band is big enough, and has a catalogue large enough, that they are no longer able to fit in every fan favourite.
Big opening sequences, fantastic instruments, and at least one trip in the crowd have been elements of MT shows for as long as I can remember, and they did not disappoint in this regard. However, the set and set list seemed toned down compared to past shows, and designed to cater to newer fans of the band. Some fans were dressed up to celebrate the gothic pomp and circumstance of the album, including wearing masks and hats.
Josh Ramsay (vocals and guitar), the grand-master himself usually bedecked and dramatic, was toned down in comparison to previous shows. The only ornamentation was a small mask covering half his face that he removed once the first part of the show was complete. Verbal interactions with the crowd were subdued. Perhaps it is because the three previous albums and shows have had clear themes and accompanying dramatic elements that this one seems devoid of clarity and unity.
Maybe that is the point. The only theme that has been mentioned in promotional material is that of “phantoms” and adding eerie sounds to the album and songs. It is still early in the album and tour promo, so maybe more themes and ideas will present themselves as it progresses. Overall a good show, and a great introduction for new fans of the band.
