Vancouver indie rock outfit Said The Whale invaded Mercury Lounge on March 12 in support of their fifth full-length album, As Long as Your Eyes Are Wide (released via Hidden Pony Records). The group stated at the start of the show that since they were putting out a new record, they were going to play pretty much everything on it. “That’s what you do when you tour a record,” Ben Worcester said.
With a set list that eclipsed 17 songs, they did just that. But at the pace the group was rolling through the songs, there was a bit of a punk feel to the show, which Tyler Bancroft couldn’t help but note the comparison. There was nothing punk about the music, though. The songs off the new album have an indie pop shimmer, and there was a palpable energy in the crowd when they went through all the tracks. A fervent group of fans showed up in the middle of the week for the late show, and their songs had everyone in the crowd dancing.
Said The Whale has been at it for over a decade, and they sound just as focused and energized now as they did when they released their first LP in 2007. With anthemic songs (the newest ones reminded me of something that would come off of Little Green Cars’ first album: quite upbeat but also lyrically somber) the band provided a wonderfully fun show that was well worth staying up past bed time.
Said the Whale is still on tour until May 17. Check out the full gallery from the show below.
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