Irish trio, Two Door Cinema Club, has clearly won the hearts of Canadians over the past couple years. It could be their charming accents, sophisticated demeanour or perhaps it’s the two brilliantly crafted studio albums that they have under their belts. With the recent release of their EP Changing of the Seasons, and a third studio album in the works, Two Door Cinema Club is well on their way to being the next big thing in indie rock.
It’s been an entire year since Two Door Cinema Club has graced Toronto with their presence and it was clear that fans were suffering through withdrawal, so much so that a second date was added to their sold out stop in Toronto. Originally, the only scheduled Toronto date was a 19+ event at the Danforth Music Hall, but fortunately, an all-ages show was added a day before at the Virgin Mobile Mod Club, the best show of the two dates (in my humble opinion). The show’s intimate setting and smaller venue immediately set the mood and the overwhelming excitement of the audience was hard to ignore as the venue began to reach full capacity.
The night opened with South African native, St. Lucia. His sounds are influenced from his extensive travels across the globe until becoming fully developed in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Performing with his live band, St. Lucia created quite the jovial atmosphere. It didn’t take long before the whole venue was jumping up and down and dancing to their upbeat electro pop beats and exotic sounds. But amidst all of the crowd’s hype, it was disappointing from a technical perspective as the backing vocals and keyboards seemed to be washed out or inaudible. Even St. Lucia’s voice was overpowered at times by a combination of drums, bass, and guitar that vibrated through your whole body. However, each band member still gave it their all, never faltering during one of the most energetic, and soulful performances I have seen in a while. The crowd was more than ready by the end of St. Lucia’s set for what Two Door Cinema Club had in store for them.
Two Door Cinema Club live at the Mod Club on October 15, 2013
After what seemed like many gruelling hours waiting for Two Door Cinema Club, the band stepped onto the stage to a crowd that went wild. The genuinely awestruck look on frontman Alex Trimble’s face to this scene was beyond heart-warming. Opening with the single “Sleep Alone” off their second album, Beacon, and continuing with a handful of songs off their first album, Tourist History, it was quite obvious that they were worth the wait; kudos to the Mod Club for getting the sound reproduction right for their performance. The energy level of the venue continued to soar as the trio played newer songs, including their latest single “Changing of the Seasons.” The overwhelming amount of people singing along to hits like “Sun”, “Something Good Can Work for You” and “Eat That Up It’s Good For You” along with non-stop dancing, swaying hips, and waving hands created a wonderful atmosphere for an even better experience beyond the great performance by the band.
It’s clear that Alex Trimble holds the showmanship of the group. Kevin Baird and Sam Halliday, the other members of the band focused on perfecting their technical performance as Trimble overpowered the venue with his stage presence and non-stop thanks and gratitude to the crowd between songs. After the performance ended, a steadfast chant of “Two Door, Two Door!” echoed throughout the Mod Club until the band re-entered for a three song encore consisting of some of their most popular and loved songs: “Someday”, “Cigarettes in the Theatre” and “What You Know.” Trimble closed the show stating that the night had been one of the best shows they have performed in a long time. And the genuine smile on all three faces indicated he was certainly being honest. There could not have been a better way to spend a Thanksgiving night in Toronto.
