Concert Review and Photos: Metric at The Wiltern

Last night, Metric graced the stage of The Wiltern as their Fantasies tour brought them through Los Angeles. They began their set with the track, “Twilight Galaxy,” off of their new album. People were on their feet and dancing their overdressed little booties off in no time – and when I say “little,” I mean it literally. The Wiltern was overtaken by swarms of what my mother would accurately refer to as “teeny boppers.” Luckily, I could make out snippets of what Emily was saying over the incessant crying out of her name by the aforementioned (as though she would hear them and invite them onstage).

It was nice of her to acknowledge the crowd with more than the usual “Hi. Uh, what city are we in again?” statement. Not only did she reminisce about venues they had performed at during previous tours, but she also acknowledged their long-time fan base hailing from Los Angeles, citing the Silverlake scene in particular.

Emily Haines danced her way through their hits new and old, including “Gimme Sympathy,” and “Empty.” If my girl crush wasn’t official already, her performance last night sealed the deal. There is something inspiring about Emily that makes her the perfect front woman. Some might say it was the strapless gold-sequined dress in which she was parading around so confidently. Others might say it was the ringing of her voice, effortlessly hitting each note despite her energetic and rhythmic dancing. Either way, she and her fellow band-mates put on an awesome show worthy of their fans.

Metric ended the set with classic “Monster Hospital” and my personal fav from Fantasies, “Stadium Love,” which unsurprisingly sounded amazing in the large space of the Wiltern theater. After leaving the stage only to be summoned back for an encore by the unyielding audience, they bid us goodnight with “Live It Out” – a song Haines considered as their version of “Freebird” – which of course prompted a sea of lighters from the crowd (both real and iPhone versions).

Remaining Metric tour dates:
06/11 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
06/12 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada
06/13 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
06/14 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
06/15 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall

Note to The Wiltern: Fix your bathrooms BEFORE you open the doors to a sold-out Metric show!

Review and Photo Gallery by Taylor Loftin