Marianas Trench – Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto – July 16, 2015.

Review by Nicole Ireland
Press Photo Courtesy of Strut Entertainment

Marianas Trench – Official Band Website

Marianas Trench is always one of the most entertaining bands to watch, hands down. Their performance at Panamania was a total blast and they turned Nathan Phillips Square into a giant party, complete with fireworks at the end of the night.

I’ve seen Marianas Trench a number of times and their shows are usually packed with flashy theatrics. This time was a little different; there was no big spectacle aside from the bright colours of the Pan Am games as their backdrop. This was a really nice change from their norm. All that the Marianas Trench boys need to entertain a crowd is their humour and their incredible talent. They did just that, and their hilarious antics (including percussionist Ian Casselman wearing a pink birthday tiara and front man Josh Ramsey strutting around in a bra that had been tossed on stage), paired with their catchiest songs and some fantastic harmonies, made for quite a performance.

The band played a lot of favourites including “Cross My Heart” and “Haven’t Had Enough”, but they also tossed in some new material like “This Means War” and “While We’re Young”. The new songs were a big hit and played well with the classic Trench tracks we already know and love. I was happy to sing along with the well-known music, but was truly glad to get a sampling of something fresh. Trench fans have been anxiously awaiting material from the band’s upcoming album Astoria, so it was interesting to finally get a taste of what’s to come.

The crowd was completely consumed by the show and the atmosphere was undeniable. You could tell that everyone in attendance, from the barricade to the back of the assembled crowd, was having a great time, and that mood didn’t stop until the music did. As I said before, Marianas Trench never fails to entertain, and that statement holds strong thanks to their appearance at Panamania.