On a brisk night on April 18th, Papa Roach made their return to Toronto on the opening day of Canadian Music Week 2017, Canadian Music Week is one of Canada’s premier industry and festival events showcasing the best in the Canadian and international music scene. With this show being one of the inaugural shows, it brought the young and old to the mid-sized venue in the heart of the Danforth village at the historic Danforth Music Hall.
Supporting the show were rock bands Second Pass and One Bad Son. One Bad Son, originating from Canada, providing a classic rock-metal performance with blistering energy and a frontman with vocals to spare as he swept through the set promoted by radio station, 97.7 HTZ FM. As the band set the stage for the headliners the mood was palpable. After a slight delay in the start time, the light was dimmed signaling the entrance of Californians, Papa Roach.
Without a delay to his demeanour, Jacoby Shaddix emerged with a roar singing the heavy-hitting track “Crooked Teeth." As the band took the stage and outlined their 16- song set including fan favourites “To Be Loved," “Scars,” and new tracks like “Help”. It was clear the band had a massive Canadian following stemming from their years in the industry. At one point, Shaddix proclaimed their excitement on their recent single’s success and appearance on the Canadian rock charts, something not witnessed since the band’s Infest record released in 2000.
I was most excited to hear the tracks that marked Papa Roach’s popularity from the early 2000s and onwards, “Scars” was belted out amongst the venue and “Last Resort” continued the wave of the night. Shaddix captivated the crowd with ease, as all members responded to the crowd’s energy with precision, the band’s veteran presence was evident throughout the night.
Papa Roach will mark the debut of their ninth studio album Crooked Teeth on May 19th, the record will feature Skylar Grey and rapper, Machine Gun Kelly. As the band announced the album’s upcoming release date, fans should expect another heavy rock filled record from the quartet who’ve been ripping and slinging since the early 90s.
Papa Roach will also shine on the upcoming WWE PPV event “Payback” as the band’s single “Born for Greatness” will serve as the theme for the night. The night at the Danforth Music Hall told a story that rock is still very much alive and we keep coming back for more courtesy of Papa Roach.