Live Music Review: ‘Warped Tour: Bands as Bands’

If you closed your eyes for a second, the heavy bass rumbling through the floorboards and the small sea of black eyeliner and band tees could have convinced you that you were standing in the middle of the 2005 Warped Tour. For one night only, the Aviary took in Edmonton’s local music scene to put on a couple of hours of early 2000s emo, pop punk, and rock music by four local bands who shed their own identities to become iconic bands. 

As the opener of the night, Look Out! took on the sound of Local H, tackling their gritty, powerhouse sound. Look Out! brought a raw garage sound to their set as only a two-piece band. Their performance was a nod to the grungy undercurrents of the alternative scene. Each band had to perform one of their own songs, which stood out in Look Out!’s set. “THAT‘S FINE” wasn’t the best original song of the night, but it stayed true to the alternative sound and didn’t blend into the music they were covering. You could hear the influence of early 2000s rock and alternative sounds, which is rarely heard today.

Up next was Re-Form as Rise Against. Of course, they didn’t produce an exact copy of the original Rise Against sound, but they came close to surrendering to the raw urgency of the music. Driving guitar riffs and impassioned vocals captured the punch and anthemic spirit of the 2000s punk revival. Beside the music, they excelled at bringing the crowd closer together and along for the ride of their set list. 

Jillian Treidler as Paramore took to the stage next; she brought a vocal power that was unique compared to the rest of the voices of the night. To even remotely try to sing like Hayley Williams is a daunting task for anyone. At times you could feel the struggle in the big moments of songs, like “All I Wanted,” but that’s to be expected. Bringing her attitude to the performance is what really sold it. Everyone in the crowd jumping around and screaming along to some iconic hits is what made the performance even more special. 

Finally, there was Saint Cemetery as My Chemical Romance. Stepping into the theatrical shoes of a hit emo band is no small feat, but they handled it well. They relied on the help of the crowd with some harder songs such as “Welcome to the Black Parade” and “I’m Not Okay (I Promise),” but that made it more fun, making them feel like the back up singers as their responses were deafening. Although, there was a lot more talking and ranting between songs that wasn’t necessary, bringing people out of the performance, and didn’t add to the experience. Overall, it was fun and entertaining, and what you would expect from a cover band of an iconic emo band. 

In a time when rock and alternative music is not as mainstream as it once was, nights like these prove that the community, the music, and the energy are alive and well right here in Edmonton. It wasn’t just a cover night, but a celebration of local talent honouring the soundtrack of legendary bands.