Probably one of the poppiest groups ever to open Art Basel in Miami Beach is set to take the stage tomorrow night at the Oceanfront stage, at 10 p.m. Metric is being flown down from Toronto to kick off a short few days of international music events during what has become one of the largest, most expensive art festivals in the world. At least the concert will be free.
Metric has achieved moderate acclaim among the youthful indie rocker set, most notably with its 2009 album Fantasies. Their last move was to offer a title song that opens the Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack.
But they got some impressive indie cred in singer Emily Haines, who has contributed lead vocals to my favorite Toronto-based band, Broken Social Scene. Not only did she work with BSS, but sang lead for some of the strongest, most ethereal of their songs, including “Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl”, “Her Disappearing Theme” and “Sentimental X’s,” to name a few.
I doubt she’ll strip naked and jump into the surf as Peaches famously did a few years ago when she opened Art Basel in Miami Beach. Haines also probably won’t invite the audience to storm the stage like Iggy Pop did during his reunion with the Stooges only a couple of years ago, on the same stage. But, hopefully something interesting will happen. If anything, Metric’s music is dreamy in a pop rock kinda way, and I hope to catch some of the live show and share here later…
edit: I never made it to the show. I had a sickness in the family to deal with and had to forgo covering the event. I shall direct you my old freelancing grounds, the “Miami New Times,” as a consolation: “Metric at Art Basel.”
