Metric & The Sam Roberts Band Perform Their Most Iconic Albums at Montreal’s MTelus [Photos]

Canada Day may be a month away, but there was a celebration of Canadian rock music at the MTelus in Montreal this past week. I’ve often seen the sold-out sign hanging from the pick-up window when I pick up my credentials, and it was hanging there again. On this night, it seemed like they had even managed to pack even more people into the legendary venue, as this was a show that nobody wanted to miss. Metric and The Sam Roberts Band were in town to celebrate some of the great music that comes from our home and native land.

While on stage, Sam Roberts spoke about the tour, mentioning how it was the brainchild of Metric’s Emily Haines. He mentioned how when he saw on the phone who was calling, he immediately picked up because one does not let a call from Emily Haines go to voicemail. She suggested a tour that celebrates each band’s most famous album, which would be played in its entirety. Answering the phone was a very good decision. Sam Roberts immediately agreed, and the rest, as they say, is musical history.

Joining Metric and The Sam Roberts Band on this evening was Housewife, the solo musical project of Brighid Fry. Armed with only a spotlight and an acoustic guitar, Housewife stood her own ground with these Canadian musical heavyweights and held her own. A short five-song set left the crowd enthralled by her music and wanting more. Hopefully, we get to see her again soon.

Up next was one of Montreal’s favourite sons. Sam Roberts and his band took the MTelus stage, remembering another time when the building was known as The Metropolis. His comment that the building will forever be known by that name for him drew a huge roar of approval from the crowd. The Sam Roberts band played their breakthrough 2003 album, We Were Born In A Flame, in its entirety, opening with the first song from that album, “Hard Road.” That album won two Junos for Roberts back in 2004, and the album was a monster hit.

I still remember the first time I heard “Don’t Walk Away Eileen,” and 22 years later, the song still has the power to get an entire room to jump around to the beat and to sing along with the chorus. The sing-along continued deep into the performance as Sam Roberts and the whole room were singing “I believe in rock n’ roll!” during the performance of “On The Run.” Montreal loves Sam Roberts and his music, and that isn’t going to change any time soon.

Our final act of the evening was Metric, another band that has dominated Canadian rock radio. In keeping with the theme of the evening, Metric performed their album Fantasies from start to finish. The album helped Metric win a couple of Juno awards back in 2010, and on this night, it had the crowd in Montreal dancing in a sold-out and very warm MTelus. Opening track “Help I’m Alive” immediately got the crowd going as everyone’s heart immediately began to beat like a hammer as they followed the beat. Emily Haines made her way to the front of the stage, where she held court before the mass of fans that had gathered before her to have Metric rock their worlds. Her voice remains one of the most iconic in the country, and it seemed like its power only grew as the night continued. The rest of Fantasies got played, as well as some extra fan favourites afterwards to send the crowd home happy.

It was a sweltering 34 Celsius in Montreal the day of the show, but the temperature inside the MTelus continued to soar as the evening progressed. Hockey season may have come to an end for our Canadiens, but Housewife, Sam Roberts Band, and Metric scored a hat trick on this evening.

Metric (w/ Housewife & The Sam Roberts Band) @ MTelus (Montreal, QC) on June 4th, 2025

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