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Concert Review: Welcome to Hellvetica Tour

Yes, I know that IDKHOW and P!ATD fandoms don't get along.

I don't care. I am an elder emo, I like what I like and I'm not interested in whatever that's all about.

With that out of the way, time to review IDKHOW and Joywave's delightful Welcome to Hellvetica tour, specifically their stop at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver, BC.

PART I: The Venue

I'll begin by saying that this was my first show here in Vancouver, and I had very little context about what to expect from any venue other than an arena or stadium, which are generally the same everywhere. Last time I saw IDKHOW was this past February at Jannus Live in St. Pete, Florida, which might be my all time favorite venue to date. Vogue Theatre is nothing like Jannus Live. It is an historic theatre (1941 to be exact) and it looks every bit of its age, in the best way possible. It is small and cozy, with the stage level ground area cleared out and seats on the second level overlooking the stage. It feels like the kind of theatre I would have been brought to as an elementary school student on a field trip, but run through an apocalypse filter and aged. It's fantastic.

That said, the stage setup for both bands did lend itself better to a venue with single-level seating (standing) like at Jannus. I'm not confident a venue with a layout like that at a comparable size exists in Vancouver, and it would make sense that if most of the other venues were single-level, the stage would be geared towards that. As a nearly-30-something who is tired by showtime O'clock at night, I opted for the seats up above. I think if I had a little more zip or if my husband had been a little more into it, we would've had a better time standing on the first floor.

PART II: No One Likes the Opening Band

Except I really did. I had no idea there was an opener for this tour because no website I could find indicated this or listed who was going to be opening for any given night of the tour. This made me a little sad because I really liked the opening band, and also a little confused since IDKHOW has their ongoing bit with that song. I eventually was able to figure out that the band was The Darcys, and they were an enjoyable mix of slightly psychedelic rock vibes with poppier elements sprinkled in. They put on an energetic show, the crowd down below seemed to vibe, they were solid without upstaging the coheadlining bands... by all measures, a solid opener and an artist I would revisit and keep an eye on for the future.

PART III: Joywave

I went into Joywave completely blind. Or, I thought I did. I had no idea they were responsible for the deathly catchy 'Dangerous' that I heard on alternative radio back in Tampa. However, I was won over long before they pulled that banger out of their back pocket. Their stage design was, again while something that would be better enjoyed from a more eye-level vantage point, bizarrely entertaining featuring the back of a corvette and arranging the artists in a circle with no instrument being where you might traditionally expect it around the lead singer. Everyone had matching repair garage type getups. It was unusual, it was eye catching, and it worked. The stage paled in comparison to the show they were about to put on. They came out with a very spirited rendition of 'O Canada' that would be reprised during IDKHOW's set, and the crowd went wild. I have not lived here long enough to know all of the words to O Canada, and I was thoroughly impressed. The 'we love Canada, why don't we sell more records here, we had to download ArriveCAN to come here, we want a Juno' schtick was wholesome and pandering without being over the top; when it was revealed that Dallon Weekes did not know the words to O Canada to join in the reprise, it just added to the earnestness and try-hard likability of Joywave. None of this to say the rest of their set didn't knock their socks off; I loved them from start to finish, with an energetic set and a take on the genre I hadn't heard much of before, but that I definitely will be seeking more of. After the first chunk of their set, I had to say I was not shocked that they played something I had heard on the radio just based on how much I enjoyed their set up to that point, it seemed impossible to me that they would not have had a hit yet. Overall, after going in with no expectations for Joywave, they made a (Canadian) fan out of me and I will be petitioning for them to win a Juno.

PART IV: IDKHOW

This was the band on the ticket that convinced me to purchase it and show up; after seeing them on a whim back in St. Pete and being completely blown away by the show, I knew that anything they put their name on was going to be a worthwhile time. At this point, fans probably are aware that this was the last show Dallon played before the laryngitis incident knocked IDKHOW off the bill for a show or two after this one; although he said himself he was feeling a lot better during the show, as someone who had recently seen the band I could tell they just weren't quite on their game like they were in February. This is not to say that the show wasn't excellent; their music is fabulous, the screen memes about the invisible sax solos had me genuinely chuckling, the musicianship was on point, and the setlist was well curated. Their cover of Heaven is a Place on Earth legit sent me, that is one of my favorite older songs of all time and to have one of my favorite contemporary bands cover it and do it justice was a trip. However, at the end of the day, I could just tell that Dallon's voice wasn't quite 100% and he probably didn't feel 100% based on the performance I saw. The great thing about really talented artists, though, is that even on an off day they can deliver something great and IDKHOW did just that.

PART V: General Impressions

If you were on the fence about snagging a ticket to this tour, I would say go for it. I think that both headliners complement each other well, and if you like one you will probably really like the other. They both put on fun, energetic shows and will hopefully be around for a long time. This could be your chance to say you saw them back when they toured the smaller niche venues, so don't pass it up ;)

[blueberrymuffiend]

Viva Las Vengeance

Not gonna lie, I dreaded this album coming out.

I gave the singles a cursory listen once or twice each, and was quickly underwhelmed.

Fortunately, after a listen-through on better headphones and without distractions, I can happily admit that I was wrong.

This album is somewhat of a departure from prior ones, and certainly different from its predecessor, Pray for the Wicked. While not scientific by any means, I've noticed that newer, younger fans tended to prefer the sound of Pray for the Wicked; its more polished production and pop-friendly sound walked a line between being a niche alt totem and something blandly radio-friendly. Viva las Vengeance took the same spirit of playing with the elements of a genre and applied it in a new direction, taking 70's and 80's rock and associated genres' identifying elements and weaving them into something contemporary.

Numerous professional reviews go into detail picking out the specific artists and bands influencing each of the songs on the track list; however, the underpinnings of the album are 70's and 80's rock, new-wave, with some punk elements. Adding in Brendon's theatrical vocals and talents, the album is something that any Zoomer or Millenial could conceivably listen to while sharing an earbud with a Gen X or Boomer relative and both parties would have a great time.

My major criticism is that the production (the album was recorded on tape) is a bit more finicky, and listening on lower fidelity devices or mediums greatly diminishes the experience. On a phone speaker or stock car radio, Brendon's dominant vocals drown out the instrumentals to the point that the nuance of the backing track is lost. However, on better headphones or speakers these elements are much easier to pick up on and the songs sound more polished and complete. I think this addresses a big fanbase complaint about the production quality; whether any given listener continues to dislike the song itself after making that correction is a question of taste and preference rather than the production itself.

Some criticisms I've picked up from other listeners are gripes about key changes and Brendon's penchant for 'belting' on this album. Several of the songs do feature jarring key changes; on multiple listens with better audio, they are much less abrupt but may not translate well to radio speakers. As to the 'belting', there is a lot of it. The vocals are much more theatrical than prior efforts, and lend a lot of emotion to songs that might have otherwise sounded trite.

Overall, I would give this album a 4/5. Brendon Urie takes the sound of P!ATD in a direction that is both a departure and natural evolution of the sound that we've come to expect from him, namely a sound that evolves with each album and takes some of the core pieces that make Panic!, Panic! on adventures through genre. From their first album, Panic! has been difficult to pigeonhole into just one genre, and Viva Las Vengeance cements this trend as Urie takes his sound and finds fresh ways to interpret classic genres in a way that is more wide ranging than other similar concept albums such as Weezer's Van Weezer. It may disappoint younger listeners who are less interested in the sound of previous decades, however for older listeners or a listener who enjoys going on a bit of a time travel adventure, this album takes Urie's best qualities and repackages them into something familiar yet completely new.

[blueberrymuffiend]

Album review coming soon

[blueberrymuffiend]

i like to think that our blogs are just our own little personal museums of all the things we like, and we can visit each other’s museums and leave nice notes at the reception.