Default used to put on a hell of a show back in the day, so when it was announced the band had been booked to tour with Stone Temple Pilots and Seether for an across Canada tour, the inter-web was a-buzz, especially in their home town of Vancouver, which frontman Dallas Smith promised would most definitely not be missed.
Playing on a Sunday night can be dicy in this town, but the place was packed to the rafters and full of nervous anticipation – opening band The Vidos had a tough job – play to a crowd chomping at the bit to see the main attraction but they held the audience’s attention and admiration if the clapping and yelling was an indication.
Default walked out to thunderous applause and boot stomping and ripped it up from the moment they picked up their instruments and mics, and it just expanded from there. Dallas Smith has gown as an artist from his early Default days to Top Canadian Country artist and was so comfortable on stage the entire experience just flowed – slapping hands while singing and skipping across the stage, he owned it. Reaching out to not just the first row but third and fourth row for knuckle bumps, taking a fan’s phone and singing to the fellow she had on FaceTime half a world away – then flipping the phone and getting us all to sing to the guy too. Watching Smith was shades of his country show – but hyper-adrenaline-ized and full of heavy guitars and strobe lights and it was f*****g fantastic.
Bassist Dave Benedict was like a man possessed on our side of the stage, dancing in circles, teasing fans in front by letting them think they could touch his bass then skipping away laughing, purple/blond hair flying from the undercut, reminiscent of his dreadlocks. Guitarist Jeremy Hora too was smiling, moving from side to side on stage, playing with the audience’s reaching hands. Hora looked comfortable, relaxed and like he was having fun. Drummer Danny Craig rounded out the Default guys, and guitarist Darren Savard has been recruited by Smith from his country band, to add extra punch to the mix.
A shit-ton of bands this past year have done reunion tours, and some have been a former shadow of themselves, clinging on to past glories and reputation, playing to the baby boomers who will forgive a lesser performance for the sheer pleasure of seeing their favourite band of the past – for Default this ain’t no reunion tour! This is Default better! More experienced, more well rounded musically, more professional about the performance and less about the party on stage – and because of that the party in the audience is amazing! The show left us sweaty, breathless and elated. It was everything you want, all you want to feel, from a rock show and Default brought it. It was like they never left.
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Photos below by Red Lenses Photography/Scotty Evil
