Tegan and Sara. Photo by Andrew Dowd. More on Flickr

Steel Train. Photo by Andrew Dowd. More on Flickr

After dating the likes of Scarlett Johansson and Alia Shawkat (perhaps better known as Maeby Fünke), it’s hard to imagine being excited about much else in life, but when lead singer Jack Antonoff and his band Steel Train took the stage at the Pageant, their energy was almost overwhelming.While some opening acts struggle to draw the attention of the first few fans to arrive, Steel Train seemed to be conducting their energy straight from the audience and harnessing every bit of it in their performance. By the end of their set, which was punctuated by a short five-man a cappella stint, the packed house was rocking along to the genre-blending music of the New Jersey quintet.

When Tegan and Sara took the stage a few minutes later, the hundreds of seats that lined the standing-room floor were quickly vacated as a wave of familiarity swept across the audience and everyone took to their feet. The sisters quickly developed a rapport by telling stories aboot (apparently that’s Canadian for “about”) their bowling expedition the night before and expressing their dismay at the City Museum’s blatant disregard of safety.

As they progressed through their surprisingly expansive catalogue, it was sometimes hard to believe that the twins had done this hundreds of times in the past. Everything seemed so novel and exciting to them that it was impossible not to feel a connection to the ever-youthful indie rockers. Jumping between their six studio albums, including their most recent Sainthood, the Canadian duo proved that haven’t lost a step in their decade-long run and that hits about heartbreak and healing continue streaming out of them with no signs of slowing down.

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Photo by Eric Dougherty. More on Flickr

It is somewhat rare, this day in age, to witness a genuine performance. Whether it’s a rapper who writes rhymes about living the thug life but comes straight out of middle-class suburbia, or a punk band who sings of angst despite their charmed life, we have all seen some acts that are just that…acts. But to see State Radio live is to behold a group of people who truly practice what they preach.Before each show, lead singer Chad Urmston, bassist Chuck Fay, and drummer Mike Najarian reach out to the community through Chad’s activist group “Calling All Crows.” By the time the peace-mongering trio takes the stage, their words assume a new meaning and they communicate their sociopolitical messages with style and ease.

Likewise, their February 12^th show at the Pageant was nothing short of incredible. The ever-growing catalogue from which the band can choose seemed to have been written especially for their live performance, and the audience remained completely captivated from the moment that first riff left Urmston’s guitar to the final note of the encore. The songs that fans have come to know and love were given a much welcome twist with improvisations and solos. These more familiar songs, in addition to a number of songs off their recently released LP, Let It Go, made the concert enjoyable for fans both new and old. Their set list ranged from the softer reggae of their early albums to the heavier rock they have been shifting towards since Year of the Crow.

All in all, State Radio truly is the embodiment of everything they sing. When Urmston croons about the sad story of the homeless in “Omar Bay,” or the injustices of war profiteering in “Gang of Thieves,” it is clear that these are topics close to his heart, and he and the rest of the band do everything they can to spread peace and happiness, both on the stage and off.

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