Metric: Live at Metropolis
By Nick Manteris · 0 Comments · Leave a Comment
The Canadian indie band Metric recorded a live DVD at the Metropolis theatre in Montreal and cleverly titled it Metric: Live at Metropolis. It came out in February and it’s their first live video, but it wasn’t really what I wanted from them. Last year Metric finally released Grow up and Blow Away, their “debut” album recorded in 2001, and that was equally disappointing. Don’t get the wrong idea…these two releases are only disappointing to me because they’re not new. It’s been almost three years since Metric has produced any new material, and I have an addiction.
I first encountered Metric going to see their opening band at a show in Nashville. When I noticed the promotional poster I thought: “A girl singer? Cool.” Immediately followed by: “I hope they don’t suck.”
They didn’t suck. In fact, that night Metric became my favorite band. Their first album stayed on almost constant rotation until the second one replaced it nearly a year later, but then it seemed like they stopped making new music. Absence apparently doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder and so-so dance remixes aren’t enough to satisfy my insatiable music appetite. I was forced to seek out older EPs and unreleased material, but, with the exception of a few truly amazing songs, it just wasn’t as exciting. (That reminds me: Metric, please re-release “The People” for the people. They deserve it. And then you can play it at shows in the future.)
What's the big deal with Metric anyway? The three guys in the band each contribute to the energy and the sound, but even the combined energy of James, Joules and Josh can’t compare with the magic of Emily Haines. What else can I say about Emily Haines? On stage she’s… Electric. Primal. Inspiring. Unstoppable. I want to hang out with her, debate with her, create with her: I want to change the world with her while she rocks out behind the keyboards.
When I sat next to her at the sushi bar in Nashville, though, she seemed quiet and withdrawn, eager to escape into her philosophy book. So much so that I didn’t even want to disturb her to say things like, “I don’t have any heroes, but if I did, you would be one of them.” or “You not only make me want to make music, but you make it seem like it’s possible.” Maybe I will get another chance to tell her in the future. If they ever release any new material and go on tour again.
Live at Metropolis only captures a tiny bit of the energy that Metric exudes during one of their shows, but that’s ok, because a tiny bit is still a considerable amount. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come close to the experience of actually seeing the band live, but, really, no recorded concert ever does. I’d like to say that the extended version of “Dead Disco” makes up for the exclusion of a couple specific songs, but, even though it comes close, it doesn’t. The last time I wished on a shooting star I should have wished for a live version of “IOU” instead of wishing for less ways to wish for, but I guess I wasn’t thinking ahead.
So, now you might be thinking, “What does any of this have to do with their Live at Metropolis DVD?” Well, depending on how you look at things, it either has nothing to do with it…or everything. I’m obviously biased and, because of my bias, I can’t comfortably recommend Metropolis over either Old World Underground or Live It Out, but then again, maybe a live introduction to the band might be best. If you're already a fan of those albums, though, this DVD is something you’ll definitely want to own.
