The Capital Ballroom is quickly becoming one of my favourite venues in the city for live events. The Strumbellas brought their Part Time Believer Tour to the venue on February 10th for a night of feel good fun and brand new music. The band released Part Time Believer the day prior so I listened to it a few times through during the lead up to the show. I didn’t have much in terms of expectations (besides being stoked to see Hold Me live), so I went in with an open mind. Upon entering the venue, I immediately noticed the extra lights on the stage and backdrop and knew that we were in for a good night. I grabbed a drink and headed to my favourite viewing spot (top secret) and waited for the night to unfold.
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald opened and showcased his honest, heartfelt lyrics from his 2020 LP, Love Valley. I was introduced to him through a playlist a friend sent me in 2020 when I was going through a tough time, so I was excited to see what he was like live. Fitzgerald arrived on stage with his beard, Carhartt vest, and Yeti tumbler and I knew this was my vibe. The music was soft, beautiful, acoustic guitar driven and really focused on the simple moments of life. I Love That Sound explores the pleasures of day to day life at home (and is my personal favourite) and Good Plates details how exciting it is to show off a new home you’ve made with a partner to your friends and family. Fitzgerald also had a merch stand at the back of the venue with some information about the Canadian Cancer Society and encouraged the crowd to go inform themselves and donate. It was a wholesome start.
The Strumbellas were the main event and didn’t disappoint. They opened with Running Scared off their 2019 album Rattlesnake which set the tone for the whole set. Hold Me was an immediate crowd favourite (thanks to The Zone for the heavy rotation!) and everyone was singing along to every word. The band was great at conversing amongst themselves and engaging with the audience. A chant of “Dry pants!” was led by keyboardist Dave Ritter after lead singer Jimmy Chaveau told a story about how he got water down the crotch of his pants and had to change into new pants before the show (even though his outfit was thrown off along the way – better that than looking like you pissed yourself!) They also had a “Believer” box at the merch stand where patrons could write down something they believe in and the band read them out loud – the most memorable being “I believe in a thing called love.”
The acoustic section of the show was tranquil and offered a reprieve from dancing and singing. In typical Victoria fashion, this meant that everyone decided to converse loudly and grab some more drinks – they missed out on a lovely version of I’ll Wait. The band picked up the tempo and launched into Young & Wild which merged into Let Down (one of my favourites from the new album). After announcing that the next song was for the “plus ones” that maybe weren’t familiar with the band, they launched into a cover of Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It was a great moment because who doesn’t know that song and have a random memory associated with it?
Lastly, they closed their set with Spirits (you’ve definitely heard this song if you’re reading this), which led to the whole audience swaying and singing at the top of their voices. It was an uplifting end to a great show and I enjoyed the energy of the band and crowd immensely. In terms of the optics, the lighting was the best I’ve seen in that venue and the band filled the stage literally and figuratively. Their energy remained high through the set as they effortlessly balanced their new songs and banter. I’d recommend seeing The Strumbellas live to anyone who loves to feel good.
