Silversun Pickups ~ Oct. 15, 2009 Sound Academy ~ Toronto, ON

Words and Photos by Pete Nema

I'm not unique in the sense that it was the song “Lazy Eye” that drew me toward Silversun Pickups. That song received a load of radio airplay in 2007 and 2008 and it also ended up being featured in both: Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band 2, providing even more exposure. But one single great song does not make a great band; to get there, the band must have other songs to satisfy when the hit single loses its luster, and a killer stage show to reinforce the music. Silversun Pickups has those. And with one of my current favorite bands, Cage the Elephant, opening the show, it was no surprise that the bands played to a sold-out crowd.

With Silversun Pickups' 2006 debut album, Carnavas, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart in March 2007 and #80 overall in the U.S., there were a lot of people, including me, wondering when the follow-up album would finally drop. I saw them perform at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in May 2007 and then again at Virgin Festival 2008 (over two years after the release of Carnavas). Their second album, Swoon, was finally released in April 2009 to chart-making sales, and the track “Panic Switch” started to receive widespread airplay. It's a great song, but like “Lazy Eye,” the interestingness of their new hit single may fade a little with the repeated radio play. But like Carnavas, Swoon also contains lots of material to fill the gap. On top of all that, Brian Aubert (vocals, guitar) really knows how to work the stage, and Christopher Guanlao (drums) really adds to the visual part of the show; I had forgotten how much I enjoy watching this band perform. If the pattern follows, it will be another year before they return to Toronto.

For more info go to: www.silversunpickups.com