Metric played almost entirely to their newest material at the Beaumont on Wednesday night. Their excellent performance was surprisingly well presented live for a band with such a complicated musical composition.

As much as each band-member plays a vital role in Metric’s music, the show undeniably belonged to lead-singer Emily Haines, whose energy never waned even as she jumped in place while playing double duty at the keyboard, laying out the notes that provide so much of Metric’s melodic power (a double duty that makes her fantastic live vocal-performance that much more impressive). To say the crowd was loving it would be an understatement.

Best of all was the enthusiasm of their performance. With their latest album focused on songs of personal survival, challenge, and growth, there was never a moment when Emily Haines or the rest of Metric seemed any less than honest in their need to share their music with us, and as smooth and polished as their show was, their enthusiasm for their words made them seem much more honest than rote.

Words and photos by Josh Efron