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Metric rose from the Toronto and New York indie scenes with sharp synth-rock and tight, cutting hooks.

Roots and returns

The band, led by Emily Haines and James Shaw, shares deep roots with Broken Social Scene and long ties to Stars, so this bill feels like a family meetup. Recent years brought the two-part Formentera era, leaning into darker builds while keeping their brisk pulse.

What you might hear

Expect a concise set around Help I'm Alive, Gimme Sympathy, and Gold Guns Girls, with Black Sheep saved for a late jolt. The crowd skews mixed in age, from fans of Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? to newer listeners who met them via the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack. You might see Emily move to keys for glassy patterns while James threads fuzzed leads that snap into the groove. Trivia: Haines guested with Broken Social Scene on Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl, and in the film, Brie Larson sings Black Sheep while the soundtrack features the band's cut. Set choices and staging notes here are based on recent habits and could change with the room or the night.

Metric fans, scene, and small rituals

You will see worn band tees, denim jackets, and comfortable shoes built for standing, with a few vintage Arts & Crafts designs in the mix.

Little rituals, shared lines

During Help I'm Alive, many fans clap the heartbeat pattern on the floor tom parts, a small cue that pulls the room together. When Broken Social Scene hits Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl, the crowd often whispers the "park that car, drop that phone" line as one. Stars loyalists tend to belt the closing line of Your Ex-Lover Is Dead, and the moment lands soft but firm. Merch leans toward clean poster art, lyric-forward shirts, and the vinyl people like to get signed when timing allows. Pre-show chatter tilts toward which deep cuts might surface and who might guest on what, more nerdy joy than scene posturing. It feels like a community that grew up with these bands and shows up to hear the songs breathe in real time.

Metric craft: sound before spectacle

Emily's vocal sits clean and forward, riding a steady kick-and-bass engine while guitar and synths trade the edges.

Edges that cut but breathe

Arrangements favor crisp verses and explosive choruses, with drums locking to tight eighth-note patterns that make the hooks hit harder. Tempos run brisk but not rushed, and the band leaves small gaps so lines like the Help I'm Alive refrain land with weight. A common live tweak is starting that song with an isolated kick-and-tom heartbeat to let the room sync before the full band enters.

Small choices, big lift

They sometimes layer a subtle synth bass under Joshua Winstead's lines to thicken choruses without raising volume. Gimme Sympathy often gets a stripped intro, voice and guitar first, before the rhythm section snaps it into focus. Lights usually mirror the pulse and color shifts of each section, serving the riffs and melodies rather than stealing focus.

Metric kin and kindred on the road

Fans of Metric often connect with artists who balance punchy guitars and big synth hooks.

Faces in the same crowd

Yeah Yeah Yeahs scratch a similar itch with spiky dance-rock energy and a charismatic lead presence. Interpol appeals through tight, minor-key momentum and a cool, nocturnal stage feel that pairs with Metric's sleek side. CHVRCHES brings bright synth pop with sharp edges, landing near Metric's melodic, modern gloss. Arcade Fire shares the Canadian indie lineage and a sense of communal lift in big choruses. All of this overlaps with Broken Social Scene and Stars listeners, who value melody, dynamics, and heartfelt lyrics delivered with a live pulse.