Mary 24th marked only the third date of Dance Gavin Dance’s new tour, in support of their 2025 Pantheon album cycle, and their second tour through Toronto in as many years did not disappoint.
This time DGD brought a well-established group of progressive and post-hardcore bands on the tour with them; starting with Novelists from Paris, the (now) female-fronted band has been active since 2013 and has 5 full-length albums. They got the show started with powerful vocals and a brilliant pink dress!
Following Novelists, fans were treated to a great set by Wolf & Bear, another band out of Sacramento, California (like our headliners), and previously signed with Blue Swan Records (Dance Gavin Dance guitarist Will Swan’s label), it comes as no surprise that they fit in very well with the theme of the evening. Made up of 6 members, Wolf & Bear had presence and command of the stage for their opening setlist, engaging the crowd who were happy to mosh and crowd surf right from the start.
The third band of the evening was The Fall of Troy; and despite this photographer’s complaint about their lighting, the trio none the less managed to engage the busy venue with their very chaotic brand of experimental math rock. The longest active band on this tour, the boys of The Fall of Troy hit the mainstream in the early 2000’s when their song “F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X” was featured on multiple video games; most notably Guitar Hero III. By far the most extreme of the 3 bands on the opening roster, the group is heavily experimental and wonderfully progressive.
This led us to our headliners. Dance Gavin Dance were once again a tour de force on the stage, the group leaning into their ability to get the crowd involved right from the outset. Heavy on the crowd surfers, DGD tore through a 14-song setlist spanning old and newer songs alike. The energy was palpable and never let up through the entirety of their time on stage; there is never a dull moment with Dance Gavin Dance on stage.
This tour runs through the US to the end of June, before heading off to Europe in September. If you have the opportunity, take the time to go see this fun and ever evolving band play live. For full gallery please visit: https://www.heartofthepit.com/photo-albums