Canadian post-hardcore band Alexisonfire took over The Danforth Music Hall this week, playing to a sold-out crowd on each of four nights (Dec. 11, 12, 14 and 15).
“I’m looking forward to these Danforth shows just to see the crowd and how everybody is going to lose it,” said Brock Hickman, 25, a hardcore fan of the band.
Alexisonfire, from St. Catharines, Ont., formed in 2001. After breaking up in 2012, they have gotten back together on a couple of occasions to perform at festivals, such as Riot Fest in Toronto in 2015.
“The part of what was so enjoyable about the show was the reaction of everyone in the crowd,”Hickman said. “You could see how much this band meant to people.”
Alexisonfire has four studio albums to date, the last one released in 2009 called, Old Crows, Young Cardinals. Hickman, who attended the Monday and Thursday shows, was interested in what they were going to do with four nights.
“The music nerd in me thought of the show like, oh, there’s four shows and they only have four studio albums. What if they just play an entire album for each show?” Hickman said.
Fans were seen waiting outside the Danforth Music Hall in the cold an hour before the doors opened. Many came from hours away just to see their favourite band play.
Even though Alexisonfire hasn’t released new music in more than eight years, they still have a loyal and excited fanbase.
Said Hickman: “I believe if they chose to come back as a fully touring band that keeps releasing new music, they would return to being one of the biggest bands in Canada.”