It’s been a while since I covered a sold-out show at Capital Ballroom. This is not to say that it doesn’t happen regularly, but a lot of my coverage has been at stadiums lately. That said, I’m always a fan of a sold-out Capital Ballroom, which is why I was stoked to learn that we would be catching Black Pistol Fire on their Flagrant Act of Bliss Tour with Never Ending Fall on March 7th. This show sold-out almost immediately after it was announced and after arriving to the venue, it seemed like it was going to get packed quick. Dedicated fans were braving the rain as they waited for the doors to open. After a very short delay to ensure the bands were ready to go, the doors opened and the night was ready to commence.
Baltimore’s Never Ending Fall kicked things off and let me tell you, they did more than that. This might be a stretch but I’m fine sharing some wild opinions: This might’ve been one of the best opening sets I’ve seen in awhile. Right from the first strum of a guitar, every member looked like they were having a blast on that stage. Appearance matters and if a band doesn’t look like they want to be there, it is felt in the whole room. Not the case for NEF because the vibes were at an all time high with them. Easily the most memorable moment from their 8-song set was when they covered Kings of Leon’s Sex on Fire. When it comes to covers, I’m usually of the mind that I want it to sound as close to the original as possible. NEF had no issue providing a cover just the way I like it, while still sounding like themselves. Before their set ended, they also threw in a song to mosh too. We love a one song mosh pit, especially when it’s unexpected. Overall, this was a great start to the night and while Baltimore is quite the ways away from Victoria, I hope to see Never Ending Fall play here again.
Finally, it was time for Black Pistol Fire’s performance. I think the only criteria for them tonight was to throw a kickass party and if this was the case, then I think they passed with flying colours. This was my first time catching this Toronto/Austin based group, so I was surprised to see that it was only two members. The guitar riffs and vocals from Kevin McKeown matched with Eric Owen’s drums is a recipe for greatness and the crowd was eating it up. At one point during their set, they played a cover of Childish Gambino’s Redbone. To be honest, I wasn’t mad at this cover. For a deconstructed look at the song, it felt like it hit all the right points to be considered a good cover. By the end of the night, their performance felt like it fulfilled many fans’ needs. According to Google, the last time BPF was in Victoria was 2022. 4 years waiting for your favorite band to return to your city is quite the dedication. I hope for the sake of their fans that their next visit to Victoria isn’t in another 4 years.
Another sold-out Capital Ballroom show is in the books. It’s funny because during the time of writing this review, Heated Rivalry star, Hudson Williams, claimed Victoria to be Dead as Fuck and Old People. Our age demographic may side with the older generation, but if this sold-out show proved anything it’s that we are far from dead. Victoria way of life might be relaxed, but our sleepy city knows how to party when bands like Black Pistol Fire and Never Ending Fall come to town. On that note, Hudson, if for some reason you stumble upon this review (I have no idea why you would but anyways) let me formally invite you out on the town with me. I will prove to you that our city is not dead as fuck, but that it’s chill as fuck, guaranteed.
