Canadian sleeping giants Alexisonfire were awoken and were pillaging everyone at The Fillmore in downtown Detroit. With their first full-length album in over 13 years, *Otherness*, released in late July, Alexisonfire were shaking the trees to let everyone know they were awake and ready to deliver new live music. With their tour starting at the end of May, this 21-date tour would take them until October, ending at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California, before starting a European leg. We were lucky enough to see them in perfect form mid-tour, and they definitely did not disappoint.
Opening on select dates for this tour were Metz, Elliott, and The Fall of Troy. On this special night in Detroit, we had the pleasure of seeing emo-indie rockers Elliott open. I had to do a bit of research on them, as I remembered the name from back in the day but didn’t know what they had been up to. It turns out this was only their second live show since 2003. They formed in 1995 and released three full-length albums.
In 2000, they released *False Cathedrals*, which was met with critical acclaim in the underground rock scene. Their set was very low-key, with chill vibes. The drummer was a full-on maniac, and their lead guitar player had a case of the Jim Morrison's, as he never really turned around towards the crowd. Their bass player kept it all glued together, and their lead singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Higdon had the audience in his trance. I thought this was an odd pairing, as Elliott was amazing to watch but they were on the mellow side, and what was about to come was anything but mellow.
If you get a chance go see this tour, they are electrifying.
Alexisonfire opened their set with a punch in the face. Ripping through their 2006 classics, "Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints" and "Boiled Frogs." If the crowd wasn’t warmed up enough by now, it was about to be with their blistering hit "Young Cardinals." All these songs bring back great memories. For something very much in the present, they banged out one of their new songs off their 2022 release *Otherness*, called "Sweet Dreams." "Sweet Dreams" has an official video for it, and it’s also my favorite song off the new album. It has this great hypnotic vibe to it; the vocals take you sailing.
After waking up from that dream, they launched into "Rough Hands," "Mailbox Arson," and another fan favorite off the new album, "Sans Soleil." "Sans Soleil" brings the mood down and shows that softer side of AOF. For being a new song, they had the whole room singing along with them; it was a nice moment for sure. After the moment was over, singer George Pettit had a chat with the crowd at The Fillmore about caring about what happens to us below them, as they are from St. Catharines, Ontario, and are watching the unrest going on in government and with the Supreme Court's rulings. Once done, it was a perfect opportunity to rip into "Committed to the Con."
The band-aid was ripped off, and it was time for the cure. After leaving people speechless with "Polaroids of Polar Bears," they almost brought the house down when the crowd realized they were breaking into their hit song, "This Could Be Anywhere in the World." The balcony where I was watching the rest of the show started rocking with the music; it’s a cool and scary feeling, but the people were definitely into it, singing every word. Another incredible moment for sure.
Rounding out their set were the always powerful "The Northern," "Dogs Blood," and "Young Cardinals." Coming back out for a final encore in a packed house in "The D," they finished up the evening with "Accidents" and "Happiness by the Kilowatt." With the looks on everyone's faces on the way out the door, there was a palpable sense of happiness. If you get a chance, go see this tour; they are electrifying.
