Silverstein
This Is How The Wind Shifts
Silverstein - my favorite emo rockers from Canada - capped off my year of shows with their tour stop at The Vogue Theatre in Indianapolis, IN (12/16/2023). I had been looking forward to this show since it was announced earlier this year and it exceeded all expectations.
Silverstein became a mainstay on my playlists 20 years ago with their release of “Smashed Into Pieces” in 2003 from their “robot album” (“When Broken Is Easily Fixed”), with renewed rotation in 2005 with their no skip “Discovering the Waterfront”, and consistent releases throughout the following years. This show celebrated their 10 year anniversary of “This is How the Wind Shifts” released in 2013. Their most recent album release, “Misery Made Me” (2022), is fantastic. There are very few bands that have consistently delivered music across 20 years that I can say with certainty that I have loved all evolutions and listen to the songs equally amongst releases. Silverstein is one of them.
The show opened with Avoid and followed by Stray From the Path. Both bands effectively hyped the crowd through circle pits, crowd surfing, jumping, and even a death wall. The packed house was energized for Silverstein to take the stage.
Silverstein opened their 90 minute set with “Bad Habits” from their 2020 album “A Beautiful Place to Drown” as the remainder of the night progressed hit by hit. They played their best from multiple decades of albums as we celebrated 10 years of “This is How the Wind Shifts” by playing the album in its entirety, as well as two songs voted on by the audience during the show (Smashed Into Pieces/Your Sword My Dagger). A highlight of the show for me was an emotional “The Alter/Mary” from their most recent album.
Shane Told’s powerful vocals were pristine, leading the crowd with sing-along anthems.
Paul Rousseau’s clean vocals were another highlight throughout the set including a solo performance of “Arrivals”. I think the video speaks for itself. Beautiful.
The entire band had a contagious stage presence as their talent was on display. Their cohesive musicianship with key choreographic touch points left the audience fulfilled, exceeding all expectations, while at the same time, leaving us with the hunger to relive these celebratory moments over and over.
As the show wrapped up with “My Heroine”, the band did a short walk backstage and returned to close the show with an encore of their four remaining songs from “This Is How the Wind Shifts”. As a fitting closing song, “Departures”, the band did not dash straight off the stage like many bands do.
Instead, they gathered every last setlist, guitar pick, drum stick, and stage prop and began handing them to the fans. This was such a simple act, yet so meaningful to the fans who have grown up with these songs and relied on them through the good and bad, providing us a place to belong, and giving us life through these songs.
Shane hopped off the stage to meet the fans who have been pinned to the barricade for hours to experience the show at its fullest.
I am forever thankful to Silverstein for stopping at Indy for their tour. Thank you for sharing your songs with us!
