Interrobang Walks off the Earth to see Marianas Trench

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: NICK REYNO
The Marianas Trench/Walk off the Earth concert at Budweiser Gardens was a spectacle to be seen.

On March 16, London hosted Marianas Trench and Walk off the Earth at Budweiser Gardens on the fifth date of their “Never Say Die” tour. The tour will take Marianas Trench from Kingston all the way to Vancouver, B.C. in support of their latest album Astoria which was released Oct. 23 of last year.

While Marianas Trench comes across with a healthy dose of edginess in their studio albums, it doesn’t quite do justice to the raw power of Josh Ramsay’s live vocals. Clearly inspired by Michael Jackson, Ramsay’s impressive range and delivery made for a captivating experience, far outweighing the few moments during songs he needed to catch his breath.

It’s no wonder that Ramsay was a little winded at Budweiser Gardens as he danced across stage, ran through the crowd and soared from the rafters with all the underwhelming grace of a baby deer. Frequent costume and instrument changes kept the show novel but the most memorable moments were those that happened offstage.

At one point in the evening, Ramsay ventured to the back of the arena to spend some quality time with fans in the less fortunate seats. While there, he unveiled a dazzling white piano and performed an emotional ballad which mashed together Neil Diamond’s “Red Red Wine” with their 2015 single “One Love”.

While the Vancouver rockers presented a more methodically planned show, the opening band, Walk off the Earth, brought a high charged performance full of passion and wit.

This group of innovative musicians gained their fame with creative covers posted on YouTube and other social media. The cover that helped bring the band into mainstream media was that of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” played by the five members on a single guitar. Since their rapid rise to fame, the Burlington musicians have been making enormous strides, signing with Columbia Records and peaking at number two on Canadian music charts with their latest album Sing It All Away.

True to form, the band delivered an incredibly varied and energized set at Budweiser Gardens last week. While Marianas Trench frequently swapped their guitars and basses during the concert, Walk off the Earth packed the stage with a collection of unique instruments. The repertoire ranged from vibraslaps, to mini xylophones, to an orchestra of instruments officially referred to as ‘whirly tubes’. The last of these served as the centerpiece in a cover of Adele’s “Hello” that would have made Danny Elfman proud.

From the flying ukuleles to the dangling Josh Ramsay, from brilliant mashups to magnificent confetti cannons, this concert was a spectacle to be seen.

March 16th concert at Budweiser GardensCredit: Nick Reyno

March 16th concert at Budweiser GardensCredit: Nick Reyno

March 16th concert at Budweiser GardensCredit: Nick Reyno

March 16th concert at Budweiser GardensCredit: Nick Reyno