Photos and a review of Sloan in Toronto.

[Emily Plunkett was dispatched to cover this hometown gig. – AC]

In the 40-odd times I have seen Sloan live, never once have I been left this overwhelmed following one of their performances. But here I am, only days following their two nights at Toronto’s Concert Hall performing the entirety of their debut album, Smeared, trying hard to eek something out that remotely honours the sheer love and respect of the music that was on display by both the band and the fans in attendance.

I suppose the best place to start here is with a bit of history: Released in late 1991, the landmark Smeared LP formally introduced Sloan (and their Halifax pop explosion contemporaries) to the rest of Canada; and ultimately the rest of the world, when the album became their first on major label, Geffen Records. Both the album and their previously released EP are virtual time capsules of Sloan’s early sound and are strikingly different from anything else in their catalogue.

Although there are some traces of the band’s now signature power-pop/rock that would make its full debut a year later on the iconic Twice Removed, Smeared and Peppermint follow the distinct grunge trends of the early ’90s and are unabashed in their reliance on the underground shoegaze sound. Earlier this year, to coincide with their 30th anniversaries (albeit, a few years late) and their now annual Murderecords spring garage sale, Sloan re-released both Smeared and Peppermint as a box set and colour vinyl, respectively; and immediately, speculation among fans wondered if an album tour would accompany the re-releases (as they had with other box set releases before the pandemic).

But with Sloan being out of practice with most of the technically unique songs of the era, combined with a general desire within the band to return to new and original material for tours, the compromise of stand-alone performances of the early material was probably the best option.

This brings us to the November 29 and 30 shows at the Concert Hall. The love could be felt long before Sloan took the stage for their opening Smeared sets when Sloan nerds from far and wide, and of all the eras of the band’s career weathered the early-winter chill to gather outside along Yonge St., up to two or three hours ahead of the doors opening in some cases.

Fans from across Ontario and bordering Michigan and New York state welcomed fans who flew in as far away as Alberta, Florida and Tennessee; while a whole contingent of the longest-standing fans directly from Halifax and Sloan’s first-ever performance in the NSCAD cafeteria chatted with some of the “newest” hardcore fans – including 14-year-old podcaster, Nathan Fox, as he gathered material for Sloan A-Z, the podcast that he hosts alongside his dad.

As a longtime hardcore Sloan nerd whose history with the band started almost a decade into their career, the only thing I knew going into the shows was that they were Sloan shows, and Sloan are one of the best live bands in the business; so there was no reason to believe the shows wouldn’t be, at minimum, mind-blowingly energetic. But part of me doesn’t think I was personally prepared for just how beautifully and masterfully dedicated the sets would be to their earliest material and their history within the original Halifax Pop Explosion; or with the feeling of trust I felt thinking that the band, on some level, knew I would appreciate the lengths in which they took us.

They sent chills down my spine by utilizing the multitalented Gregory Macdonald to give the guitars that extra layer of volume and perfect distortion distinct to the era and re-introducing the dreamy vocals of the legendary Jennifer Pierce, who made the live performances of “I Am the Cancer” and “Marcus Said” complete for those of us fans who weren’t fortunate enough to have been there from the beginning. And while the first set consisted of Smeared’s tracklist, the second Peppermint set brought home the true celebration and respect for this early era of the band’s history.

Sloan could have simply sprinkled in the Peppermint deep cuts into a set of general hits, knowing full well that the fans wouldn’t have been disappointed; but what we ended up getting was an absolute dream set of b-sides and rarities. “Rag Doll”, “Pretty Voice”, Sleepover” – if Sloan recorded it in 1991, it was played. They even included the cover of Eric Trip’s “Stove/Smother” from the DGC Rarities Vol. 1 compilation, and brought Jennifer Pierce back to perform her Jale classic “Promise.”

And, when it was all said and done, the only reason they closed with “Coax Me” was because they ran out of rarities to play and they knew they could at least get away with a future hit they had played during those early tours.

In this era of cookie-cutter world tour performances and an influx of so-called “fans” harassing artists in a way that makes them wary of any form of interaction, it was refreshing to know and witness in real-time how respect and trust can benefit both artist and fan. It felt like Sloan knew and trusted the fans would love whatever they decided to pull out for the shows and support the band no matter what and in return, the fans trusted the band would make these performances special however they saw fit; and the result was far more than either party could have hoped for.

Both nights, I left the Concert Hall completely speechless and secure in the knowledge that my fellow Sloan fans might just be the luckiest fans on the planet.