Never Say Die: Marianas Trench Live at Air Canada Centre, Toronto!

With a HUGE POP from the crowd, Vancouver’s Marianas Trench took the Air Canada Centre stage and kicked off a headlining set that left no fan wanting for anything but more of the same when it ended.

High Energy ✓
Polished Production ✓
Crowd Connection ✓
Great Sound ✓
Fun ✓

With a jam-packed set of 18 songs, the 4 dudes who make up Marianas Trench left everything they had dripping on stage… and over the enthusiastic crowd of Trenchers.

They lit their fire with Astoria, and closed out their 3 song encore with End Of An Era. And from start to finish they put on a show in every sense of the word. From wardrobe changes (which rarely included a shirt for Josh) to smoke and confetti cannons and animated videos playing on the huge screen at the back of the stage and Josh himself channeling Peter Pan as he flew out over the crowd – flipping, diving, and gliding through the air while singing Stutter and End Of An Era. This was theatrics and music and everything that a reunion tour rock band standing still and playing the hits isn’t.

Marianas Trench Set List, Never Say Die Tour Toronto

🔥 Astoria
🔥 Yesterday
🔥 Celebrity Status
🔥 Burning Up
🔥 All To Myself
🔥 This Means War
🔥 Desperate Measures
🔥 Pop 101
🔥 Shut Up
🔥 One Love
🔥 Fallout
🔥 Who Do You Love
🔥 Stutter
🔥 Wildfire
🔥 Cross My Heart
🔥 Encore: Dearly Departed
🔥 Encore: Haven’t Had Enough
🔥 Encore: End Of An Era

Related: Astoria: Marianas Trench Album Review and Q&A

Note: We love that the guys shouted out their 1st Toronto show, 10 years or so ago at the Cameron House… one of our fav spots in the city for music.

And if the theatrics aren’t your cup of tea (too bad, ‘cause they were awesome) the music was on point all night too. The combination of tight musicianship and harmonies that comes with a decade of playing and singing together + Josh’s ridiculous pipes makes for live music that does not disappoint when compared to studio records.

In fact, Josh’s voice is so ridiculous I don’t know who to compare it to. And usually that’s a thing that I can do.

Note: I can compare show opener Kieran Mercer’s voice to a mid-80’s Phil Collins. And that’s a good thing! Mercer and his band did a great job of warming up the stage and crowd as fans filed in to their seats. And the matching red jackets may have had a little movie theater look, but the music was all their own. Job well done boys!

The crowd, heavy with teens and early 20-somethings, stood throughout the set, and crowded the small stage in the middle of the floor when Josh took to a piano on a small B stage to belt out One Love, with the support of a lot of enthusiastic voices.

These Toronto Trenchers loved the Marianas Trench show. They were excited, screaming, singing, dancing, waving their hands, and generally having the time of their lives. We loved seeing it. It’s the best part of live music… and it was on full display.

Note: We also have to shout out Walk Off The Earth who played between Kieran and Marianas Trench. They killed it with a mix of musicianship and showmanship that was far above any expectations we had going in. Our hats are off to the entire band, and their techs who sing and play drums, all while doing their other jobs. Nailed it!

Related: Walk Off The Earth: Live at Air Canada Centre, Toronto!

It was a loud night at Air Canada Centre and we loved it.

In the end there really isn’t an end to the combination of adjectives we could use to describe this show.

The band was 100% in. The fans were 100% in. The emotion ebbed and flowed. The love openly passed from the seats to the stage, and back again… and we have 0 doubt that it will be the same in Winnipeg, Regina, Lethbridge, Red Deer, Edmonton, Calgary, Kelowna, Kamloops, and their hometown of Vancouver as the Never Say Die Tour continues.

Congrats to Josh, Matt, Mike, and Ian on a great show… they killed it.

Now, check out the awesome pics Trish snapped in the pit and go listen to Astoria!

Marianas Trench at Air Canada Centre Toronto!