After seeing my first small club rock concert at the TLA with X, my second came two nights later at the Union Transfer with Japandroids. The opening act, DIIV, named after the Nirvana song, was sub-par. Although some people enjoyed it, it wasn't my type of rock. As the set went on, all of their songs started to sound the same and became boring. The real action began when Japandroids hit the stage. The Canadian based band from Vancouver shook the Union Transfer with their energetic, loud punk rock. Throughout the show, crowd members repeatedly jumped on stage and just as quickly dove back into the pit, including that one guy who did a front flip (see Younger Us video below at 0:38). Lead singer Brian King told the crowd that the stage was his and that if they wanted to jump on they only had 5 seconds to get off. They obeyed his request and had a great time. Japandroids were touring to promote their breakout album Celebration Rock, which appeared at #9 on Rolling Stone magazine's Top 50 Albums of 2012 behind Green Day's ¡Uno!, Bruce Springsteen's Wrecking Ball, and Jack White's BlunderBuss, among others. They came out swinging with Adrenaline Nightshift and Fire's Highway, both off the 2012 album, and never looked back. The highlight of the show came with their biggest song and arena rock anthem The House That Heaven Built (see video below), which is played as the entrance theme for their hometown NHL team, the Vancouver Canucks. After the show, I met with both members of Japandroids, lead singer/guitarist Brian King and drummer David Prowse. It would be the same place I would go on to meet The Joy Formidable a few years later.
Setlist:
DIIV:
1. (Druun)
2. Past Lives
3. Human
4. Geist
5. Wait
6. Follow
7. How Long Have You Known?
8. Air Conditioning
9. Sometime
10. Doused
Japandroids:
1. Adrenaline Nightshift
2. Fire's Highway
3. Art Czars
4. The Boys Are Leaving Town
5. The Night of Wine and Roses
6. Rockers East Vancouver
7. Younger Us
8. Heart Sweats
9. Wet Hair
10. Evil's Sway
11. To Hell With Good Intentions
12. The House That Heaven Built
13. Crazy/Forever
14. Sovereignty
15. Continuous Thunder
16. Young Hearts Spark Fire
17. For the Love of Ivy
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