Last week, a few days before Halloween, Lincoln Hall got a taste of some of the most energetic and genuinely entertaining music one could hope for. The Go! Team stopped by Lincoln Hall the first time in six years to celebrate 20 (!) years of their debut album Thunder, Lightning, Strike. Joined by La Sécurité, the pair of bands gave Lincoln Hall a night of pure bliss.
First up was Montreal band La Sécurité Fronted by Éliane Viens-Synnott and backed by an immensely talented lineup this tour including Félix Bélisle, Laurence Anne Charest-Gagné, Kenneth David Smith, and Alix Fernz. Now at first listen you may think "This is a bit of an odd pairing for this show", but I assure you it was pretty damn perfect. The band has this inherent fun and creativity behind their sound that matches that of the headliner, making for a fantastic first punch of the night. La Sécurité opened up the night with the exact high energy set you'd want for a night at Lincoln Hall. A mix of art punk aesthetics blended with almost new wavey synths and an aura to match, La Sécurité had the crowd bopping away to their intense tunes.
Starting with "Le Kick", La Sécurité careened in to the set, looking as cool as can be while songs gave way to some post punk sounds highlighted by Viens-Synnott's incredible vocal delivery. Every moment felt like a build up to the next song while still feeling like an explosive high point all its own. The French language "Serpent" slithered along with confidence that was matched late in the set with "Hot Topic", which blast forth with unmovable feminist energy "I will not sit pretty" is just one of a dozen emphatic statements the song blasts out and proudly stands alongside. It was an incredible showing and a damn fine reason to show up early to the show.
The Go! Team followed with a set the exceeded all expectations I had of the group. Having listened to the Thunder, Lightning, Strike the moment it came in, The Go! Team were essentially the soundtrack of my high school years. Full of energy, fun, hope, and just a damn good time, Thunder, Lightning, Strike felt like the first big breath of fresh air and was such an incredible debut that has stood the test of time. And with this full album play show, it re-cemented it as an all timer of an album.
The proper set was the entirety of the debut album, giving everyone in the band their time to shine and bask in the glow of that magnificent song list. Ian Parton, the original and at one time sole member of The Go! Team, came to the stage alongside the likes of The Go Team members Adam Znaidi, Jaleesa Gemerts, Kate Walker, Sam Dook, and of course Ninja. From the opening salvo of "Panther Dash", the band was firing at 100%, never really giving themselves a moment to rest up. Ninja in particular was emblazoned with nonstop energy, belting out the chants and lyrics of the album with every bit of passion that resided in her.
There are so many tracks on that album that hold a special place in my heart that it's hard to process all the emotions I felt during the set. Whether it's "Ladyflash" with throwback vocals that switch to modern hip-hop flows at the drop of a hat, the jingle jangle of "Feelgood by Numbers" that is elevated immediately by "The Power is On", or the bright embrace of "Get It Together"; Thunder, Lightning, Strike just feels like a blast. The final track of the set and album "Everyone's a V.I.P to Someone" continues to be a fantastic closer, and given how much I and a few other members of the audience were surprisingly and lovingly spotlighted by Ninja throughout the night, it certainly felt like we were all VIPs.
The encore felt like a rush through the rest of The Go! Team's history as a band, playing tracks from Rolling Blackouts, Proof of Youth, Get Up Sequences Part Two, and Semicircle. Final song of which, "Apollo Throwdown", had Ninja going through the crowd and meeting as many fans as she could. The encore was truly what an encore should be: a fantastic cherry on top of an unforgettable night.
