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Apr 12, 2010 Metric By Laura Studarus Photography by Ariel Marte

Metric bandleader Emily Haines is a triple threat. Make people swoon with delicate compositions as part of Broken Social Scene? Done! Break hearts with a stripped-down confessional solo project? Child’s play. Friday night at the Palladium, it was all about rocking out. And what do you know, she does that too!

Scarcely taking time to breathe, Haines lead her band: James Shaw (guitar), Josh Winstead (bass), and Joules Scott-Key (drums), through a high octane set, heavy on tracks from last year’s Fantasies. Striking poses that were part model, part street fighter, Haines worked every side of the stage, audience (including two fantastically enthusiastic frat boys in front of us), returning the favor with shrieks and claps, raising to an impressive din during party-starting tracks “Gold Guns Girls” and “Stadium Love.” (Palladium Love?) “You’ve got to fight for your right to party” Haines yelled during “Empty,” seamlessly folding the Beastie Boys classic into the Live it Out track. Replying with a stomp that would have put many a soccer stadium to shame, the audience was more than willing to take her up on it.

Perhaps the most moment of the evening was during song “Gimme Sympathy,” where Haines sings, “Who would you rather be, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones?” From Metric’s no-holds barred performance, capped by a startlingly sweet acoustic version of “Combat Baby” it was clear the answer was a resounding, “us!”

Set List

1. Twilight Galaxy
2. Satellite Mind
3. Front Row
4. Help I’m Alive
5. Empty
6. Collect Call
7. Gold Guns Girls
8. Gimme Sympathy
9. Sick Muse
10. Dead Disco
11. Stadium Love

Encore:

12. Monster Hospital
13. Combat Baby (acoustic)

(www.ilovemetric.com)