From just a quick look around the lovely Fallsview Casino in Toronto, ON, I could see that Nickelback was bringing in a wide variety of fans, from teens to seniors, all decked out in merch and ready to rock! Before I even stepped foot into the venue itself, there were concertgoers walking around shouting, cheering, and dancing.
Nickelback, the Canadian rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Chad Kroeger, guitarist Ryan Peake, bassist Mike Kroeger, and drummer Daniel Adair. Known for their post-grunge and hard rock sound, Nickelback achieved mainstream success with their 2001 album “Silver Side Up,” featuring the hit single “How You Remind Me.” The band’s music often blends elements of rock, pop, and metal, making them one of the best-selling musical acts of all time. Nickelback’s catchy hooks and radio-friendly anthems have earned them a dedicated fan base and numerous awards throughout their career.
The show started off with opener Owen Riegling, a Canadian country singer who’s only 25 years old. He had a fantastic stage presence and his voice was killer. I was really impressed! He seemed like a seasoned pro when it came to crowd work and performing. I was only able to catch the first 3 songs of his set until the photographers were escorted out to wait for Nickelback but what I got to see definitely was awesome.
When it came time for Nickelback, the crowd was buzzing with energy and excitement. There was a hum over the crowd and the second the lights dimmed, the crowd went WILD!! They started off their set with “San Quentin” and “Savin’ Me” (which were the two songs we were allowed to photograph). After that we had to drop our gear back in the cars, and unfortunately missed my favourite Nickelback song “Animals.” Their energy did not disappoint, and maybe it’s my bias because I’m a HUGE fan but they were just so awesome to watch live. Their performance truly blew me away and I could not get enough of it!
I always wondered if their voices would sound the same live as they do in their recordings, and they do it’s so impressive.
The band played hits like “Figured You Out,” “Hero,” “Photograph,” “How You Remind Me,” and “Rockstar.” The crowd was having such a great time, everyone in the seats and the pit was dancing their hearts out and singing along. The band also brought on a fan to sing “Rockstar,” and they realized it was this fans third time on stage singing the song with them over the years!! It was so fun!!
I unfortunately left before the encore because I had a bit of a trek home, but I had the best time singing and dancing my heart out along other Nickelback fans. 100% a show I would recommend to anyone debating on going!
Stay tuned to Stereofade for more news and reviews, including our review of Scotty McCreery’s show in Webster.
