Emily Peria 2025-03-26 Emily Peria 2025-03-26

Movements - Spring Tour 2025

History hosted Movements Spring Tour 2025, featuring Citizen, Scowl, and Downward. From Movements' anthemic moments to Scowl's gritty punk spirit, the night celebrated both nostalgia and fresh energy in the alternative music scene.

History

March 20, 2025

With Downward, Scowl & Citizen

On the evening of March 20, History hosted Movements Spring Tour 2025, featuring Citizen, Scowl, and Downward. From Movements' anthemic moments to Scowl's gritty punk spirit, the night celebrated both nostalgia and fresh energy in the alternative music scene.

Photos by Connor Watt

Cascaded in red light, Oklahoma-based Downward kicks off the show. At the beginning of this tour, they released Downward (2), the latest album on New Morality Zine—a mix of shoegaze and alternative rock. You can hear influences of Radiohead, with the lead singer giving a Thom Yorke-inspired sound. By the second song, a plucky guitar solo accompanied the melancholy obscured vocals, and the crowd began to warm up. There were so many mullets in the room that you could have convinced me a Nascar race had just ended.

Downward’s sonic descent is replaced with a renewed vitality. Scowl bursts on stage before I can get back to my spot after returning a dropped vape. Lead vocalist Kat Moss is impossible to miss with UV reactive lime hair and a husky scream. She was constantly in motion. From two stepping between verses to dancing across the stage, her energy was so contagious that when she invited the crowd to “move your body like a fucking freak,” we all obliged. Though the songs were noticeably short, they still packed a hardcore punch. Bands like this reinforce the reason never to miss the openers.

Photos by Connor Watt

The moment Mat Kerekes initiated The Night I Drove Alone, every phone in the venue was recording (and I ruined them all with my singing along). Midwest emo revivalists Citizen had the audience in the palm of their hand. At least half a dozen unfinished drinks were launched at the ceiling so their consumers could join the push pit for In The Middle Of It All. It was obvious that a vast majority of attendees were there only to see them, as the crowd dissolved once their set ended.

Those who remained greeted Movements with synchronized overhead clapping for their first song Afraid To Die and waited for Lead Pipe’s chorus before crowdsurfing. The production was simple but effective. Background stage lights followed the guitar's lead at one point, changing colour with each strum. I have seen Movements three times throughout the years, and Patrick’s vocals have always been a highlight. However, I cannot unhear Morty when he recites the spoken word ending of Full Circle. Sorry to ruin it for you.

As the set hit the midpoint, it was clear that fans were much more receptive to pre-RUCKUS! songs. In an attempt to generate excitement for the new song Where I Lay released just under a month ago, Toronto was put into a contest with New York and Philly to see who could sing it the loudest. I can’t remember who won because I got distracted by the drummer Spencer York’s long elven hair billowing in some sort of artificial breeze that left me thinking, “Does he have a personal wind machine?”

Patrick revealed that the fun packs available at the merch table had raffle tickets that granted you free entry to a Movements show for life in the city of your choosing. Though the offer was very tempting, he admitted that “after this tour we’re going to go away for a bit and write some more music.” While the night may have come to an end with the promise of a creative hiatus, it’s clear that these artists left an indelible mark on their audience, and the wait for their return will be well worth it.

Emily Peria 2025-03-19 Emily Peria 2025-03-19

LØLØ - U Tour Me On Headlining Tour 2025

Velvet Underground was transformed into Munchkin Country, both in terms of Wizard of Oz-inspired stage props and the young age demographic of attendees. This sold-out show was the finale of her U Tour Me On headlining tour, and a hometown one to boot.

Velvet Underground

March 14, 2025

With Gus

On March 14, Velvet Underground was transformed into Munchkin Country, both in terms of Wizard of Oz-inspired stage props and the young age demographic of attendees. While we eagerly waited for LØLØ to walk down the DIY yellow brick road trailing down the center of the stage, the crowd could be heard belting out lyrics from my millennial classic rock playlist. This sold-out show was the finale of her U Tour Me On headlining tour, and a hometown one to boot. A glance around the room gleaned an unlikely assortment of fans. Some appeared to have walked out of Hot Topic while others from Urban Outfitters. I even saw a Dorothy cosplay, no doubt in the spirit of the tour and falling for robots & wishing i was one, LØLØ’s first album on Hopeless Records. Regardless of their outfits, everyone was buzzing with excitement as the show commenced.

Photos by Emperiam

Gus graced our ears with his chill indie-pop vibes and admitted that he had a prank in store for the headliner to celebrate the last show. Later we found out that he had the tech switch out LØLØ’s usual guitar with a headless Stratocaster. A joke that went over my head, but entertaining to anyone in the know. Near the end of his set, Gus got the room involved with his version of Sabrina Carpenter’s unmistakable hit, Taste, and left us with the uplifting message of his latest release I Think We’re Worth Saving.

I first discovered LØLØ from her set at All Your Friends Fest in 2024 and I’m glad to have given her a second chance. Her infectious lyrics sounded like my emo diary entries coming to life with phrases like, “I can't keep a plant alive even if I tried to” and “You told me you love me. You don’t fucking love me.” Even if you weren’t familiar with her discography, she embellished parts of her songs with strategically placed verses of Green Day’s Brain Stew and The Killers Mr. Brightside to get everyone singing along.

Photos by Emperiam

Crowd involvement didn’t stop there. During Debbie Downer, LØLØ threw sparkly blue pom poms to the audience and brought a lucky fan onstage so they could emphasize the chorus cheer “That girl is too depressive, too, too, depressive!” There was never a dull moment, LØLØ was electrifying from start to finish. No wonder People Magazine has put her in the top 20 artists to watch. LØLØ’s style blends the heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics of Olivia Rodrigo with the pop-punk attitude of Avril Lavigne. Near the midpoint of the set, LØLØ laments, “I’ve been an opener for so long.” While this may be the ultimate show on her first headlining tour, this is not the last you will see of her. In the essence of Dorothy’s famous quote, LØLØ, I’ve a feeling you won’t be just an opener anymore!

Emily Peria 2019-03-11 Emily Peria 2019-03-11

The Plot In You - North American Tour 2025

With only a few days remaining on their North American tour, The Plot In You, Acres, Boundaries, and Holding Absence gave fans many reasons to endure the cold before the sold-out show.

Danforth Music Hall

March 11, 2025

With Acres, Boundaries, and Holding Absence

The last freezing winds that the Toronto winter has to offer blew past the dark-attired crowd lined up around the corner of Broadview and Bloor, waiting to take shelter in The Danforth Music Hall. These low temperatures are no surprise to Ohio-based headliner band The Plot In You, composed of singer Landon Tewers, bassist Ethan Yoder, guitarist Josh Childress, and drummer Michael Cooper. With only a few days remaining on their North American tour, The Plot In You, Acres, Boundaries, and Holding Absence gave fans many reasons to endure the cold before the sold-out show.

Photos by Connor Watt

By the time Acres began, the Hall was nearly packed. Alex Freeman traded the traditional hardcore outfit sported by his bandmates for black overalls and an aquamarine guitar, while vocalist Ben Lumber wasted no time by summoning a circle pit. A beloved ritual that no metalcore crowd would ever deny a frontman. The English lads set the night's tone with a mixed dose of catchy hooks and heartfelt screams, creating the perfect atmosphere for what's to come.

Photos by Connor Watt

Connecticut-based band Boundaries follow with heavy-hitting double kicks and synchronized head-banging, leaving every blow to the crash cymbal punctuated with whips of long hair. Seldom were the band standing in one spot. “Why are you here?” goads bassist Nathan Calcagno. The crowd feeds off this enraging energy and produces the first crowd surfer of the night as tribute. One filthy breakdown and gutteral scream after another encourages a sea of hand horns from the stage to the balcony. A devilish vision my grandmother would be appalled to see.

Photos by Connor Watt

With an oversized ’80s denim jacket and a textured mullet that resembled Steve from Stranger Things, Lucas Woodland of Holding Absence possessed a swagger that was unlike that of the heated vocalists before him. The Welsh rock band gave the room a sonic palette cleanser of melodic guitar and clean, understandable vocals. Though the genre may have switched, the on-stage energy never wavered. Even during “Moon Song”, the soft ballad anomaly of the night, hand horns were substituted with phone lights, turning the venue into a starry sky. Near the end of their set, Lucas also mentioned that all of the Holding Absence t-shirts were printed in Canada to avoid any American tariffs. Something I wonder if more bands will adopt going forward.

I found Jesus at The Plot In You show, further proving that live music is church. He walked past me and into the middle of the horde, long white robe and red sash flowing, anticipating the arrival of the headliner. The stage was empty, save for metal pillars scattered along the perimeter, with hanging foliage and a large 1920s radio that would sporadically emit incoherent static noise. Eventually, the channel landed on John Denver’s chorus of Take Me Home before fizzling out into eerie pulses. The band slowly emerges, and Landon introduces the set with the rasping cry of “Don’t Look Away,” sending the crowd into a chaotic frenzy. His vocal range and capability are indistinguishable from the records, hitting every note and gut-wrenching howl without fail throughout the entire set.

Highlights for me included hearing my top song of 2023 “Divide” and joining in the agonizing isolated vocal chant of “Forgotten”. Even though the majority of the songs mask the emotionally charged lyrics with hard metal riffs, The Plot In You are not a one-trick pony. The band’s sound morphs from inciting angry mosh pits to “Wanna hear some emo shit?” Landon asks this rhetorically before ripping our bleeding hearts out with “All That I Can Give.”

I saw Jesus once more. This time, He is the first of a continuous wave of crowdsurfers. Their last chance to get in before the encore, “Feel Nothing”, a song that propelled the band into social media stardom. Not only did its virality generate millions of streams, but the track also received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America on November 30, 2022. Every head in the room was bobbing and singing along, and I swear I heard someone say, “This is the song from TikTok!”

Whether you embrace the influence of the internet or not, the weight of its impact cannot be disregarded. But the real power will always reside in the music, and The Plot In You have proven that their prestige cannot be contained in a 15-second sound bite.

Photos by Connor Watt