Broken Social Scene returned to Austin on Friday, March 23 for a comprehensive performance at Stubb’s BBQ that did not disappoint longtime fans. The Canadian music collective, formed in 1999, has a revolving door of touring members that number as few as 6 and as many as 19 at various times. Eclectic vocal arrangements, bombastic horn sections, and indie rock guitars brought a memorable experience for all of BSS’s fans gathered at Stubb’s on Friday.
Openers and up-and-coming band Belle Game emitted beautiful progressions that were as ethereal as they were galvanizing – priming the audience for the main act coming on after them. Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning are the two bandleaders of Broken Social Scene who continue to orchestrate the large-scale tours that the band endeavors. Having released their fifth album, Hug of Thunder, in 2017, Broken Social Scene has decided to continue touring into 2018.
The opening of the BSS set began slowly with songs like “KC Accidental” and “Halfway Home”, but began to pickup with songs like “Texico Bitches” and “Protest Song.” Most of the crowd gathered at Stubb’s seemed to have been lifelong fans, as even some of the more obscure tracks were met with the crowd singing along.
Whereas the beginning of the set seemed to ease the crowd slowly into the groove, the second half let loose completely. Songs like “Sweetest Kill”, “Fire Eye’d Boy”, and “Almost Crimes” sparked the crowd into a frenzy. Rounding out a lengthy but exhilarating nineteen-song set, Broken Social Scene ended with hits like “Please Take Me With You” and “Meet Me In The Basement”, all to the crowd’s delight.
While gimmicks and exorbitant production are short in Broken Social Scene’s live show, they make it up with old-fashioned musicality that taps into the hearts of their audience. With a large family of musicians onstage that have played for nearly two decades together, Broken Social Scene have continued to put out quality music and tour routinely, keeping their fans happy.
