LIVE PHOTOS + REVIEW: The Beaches // Guelph, ON

Canadian rockers The Beaches rolled through Guelph on Saturday night. The packed, sweaty show was the 3rd of the nine east-coast Canadian dates on the Professional Tour. The entire lineup – Fade Awaays, Goodbye Honolulu, and The Beaches – is from Toronto and even went to high school together, which definitely brought a sense of camaraderie among the bands.

First to hit the stage was Fade Awaays. Despite a short 30-minute set, the four-piece garage rock band woo’d the crowd with their bold guitar riffs and tight harmonies. Throughout the set, each member took at least one turn on vocals, and all poured every once of their energy into the performance. The band finished their set by getting the crowd involved, having them shout during the chorus of “Get Along”.

Next up was Goodbye Honolulu, who took the energy down a notch in favour of groovier bass lines and songs from a variety of genres, ranging from funk to alt rock. The band has gotten increased attention lately due to shoutouts from Selena Gomez, but the attention is well-deserved; their newest single “U Got It” and many of the unreleased songs they played during their set left me excited for their next release.

When The Beaches came on stage, they were greeted by an eager crowd. The band immediately launched into their hit single “Snake Tongue” and kept the energy high throughout the entire hour and a half set. A highlight was definitely their funky cover of “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” which showed a unique angle of the band’s style, different from their usual heavy drums and rich vocals. Though their set was fantastic, the crowd seemed relieved when it was finished – the Guelph Concert Theatre was packed tight to its back wall making it hot and sweaty, and a bit hard to breathe; people were even watching from the venue’s lobby. Despite the environment, the fans left smiling, and I’m sure they’ll see The Beaches next time they hit Guelph, if not one of the remaining dates on the Professional Tour.