"We're celebrating tonight"
While Vancouver was gathering outdoors for the Celebration of Light, more than a few packed into a sold out Commodore Ballroom, to see the reunited Down With Webster. And for them, it was fireworks.
The reunification as a band started as just a fun idea, with some festival dates. But soon there was a call to headline their own show at the Commodore. Would anyone care after all this time? The answer was a resounding YES!. With the show selling out in a matter of hours, and a second date added. Seemingly everyone was on the ballroom floor, with only a few in the seats that line the sides. From the first beat, the floor was thumping.
The energy from that first beat took it to a 10, and it stayed that way for the rest of the night. Maybe even hitting 11. Even when singer, Patrick Gillett, was alone on stage, the crowd sang along so enthusiastically, they essentially took over. Proving the packed house wasn’t just there for the hits. The band themselves even made mention of being able to play a few from the vaults, as they were limited as to what they would normally play at festivals.
"Who's here with their favourite people right now?"
If you’ve ever been to the Commodore, you know, even in the dead of winter, it can be quite toasty. This show was a perfect example as to why the Ballroom needs some air conditioning. Walking in 5-10 minutes before the show, I was hit with a wave of heat. And I mean it was HOT. But it didn’t seem to bother a single soul there to see the band.
But it wasn’t just the crowd that rose the mercury. Down With Webster, brought just as much heat to the equation. Their enthusiasm being utterly infectious. With the amount of genuine fun they were having on stage, you wonder why they even disbanded in the first place.
"After all this time, I didn't think anyone would care"
Even if this wasn’t meant to be a permanent reunion, I can only imagine, after nights like tonight, the band might have to rethink some things. And hopefully that fans in Vancouver, and other cities won’t have to wait as long to see a band that clearly means the world to them, again.
I too hope that they stick around. Because they were a hell of a lot of fun to shoot. I remembered photographing them way back in 2011, and would like to go less than thirteen years, to have them in my lens again.
"You guys have been going crazy for however long we've been on stage."
Hey, Jade here. Thanks for visiting Backline Beat. If you like the site and would like to help support it, I’d be very grateful. Every little bit helps. Right now I’m an army of one, and would like at some point to be able to bring on other voices, to be a part of Backline Beat. Below, are links to Patreon, PayPal, and Linktree.
If you can’t support Backline Beat monetarily, you can also show support by subscribing on YouTube, and following on the various socials. (buttons/links below).
Thanks again, and I can’t wait to grow this with you.
— Jade Dempsey