NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
LA rockers Starcrawler stopped in Toronto this week in support of their third studio album “She Said”. Known for their high energy outrageous shows, they make every performance a must see, making you wonder what’s going to happen next! Their latest record is a bit more polished than their previous two, although the rawness of their debut album still resonates well. With “She Said”, you can hear many different influences, from 60s Motown to Hole to the Foo Fighters. Hitting the shelves in July 2022, the band has already released four singles from the record, with “Roadkill” hitting the top 40 alternative charts.
Waiting for the band to hit the stage, the energy of the crowd was already ramping up expectantly. One thing you could always expect with Starcrawler is an insane amount of electricity pouring out of the band, especially from lead vocalist Arrow de Wilde and guitarist Henri Cash. De Wilde can always be counted on to do the unexpected. It all depends on how she’s feeling and she’ll express those feelings immediately. The unexpected makes each of their live shows like seeing them for the first time.
The opening band for the night was Foolproof, a local band out of Niagara Falls. With lead guitarist Paige Kopp’s powerful vocals, we were reminded of Hole and 90s grunge. Definitely need to look up any other local shows they’ll be playing.
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Starcrawler opened the show with Goodtime Girl, immediatey cranking the energy to 150%! After the song, de Wilde and Cash scolded the crowd and told them that they needed to be louder. If de Wilde was telling me to do something, I’d definitely listen! There’s a ferociousness about her where, even when she’s smiling, it looks like she’s baring her teeth like a tiger ready to pounce! They proceeded to play an incredible twenty three song set including the entire new album!! There were no pauses or breaks except for during “Better Place”, a chill duet with de Wilde and Cash sharing a mic. As we neared the end of the set, Starcrawler cranked it up even more, with de Wilde doing a turn crowdsurfing and Cash playing in the crowd and on top of the bar! I was so worn out after their set that I would swear they draw their energy from the crowd.
Unlike previous Starcrawler shows I’ve attended, there was no fake blood, no spraying of water or spitting into the crowd. I suppose that with Covid, such activities are no longer allowable but the lack of such antics absolutely did not take anything away from the face melting performance of this band. If you haven’t been to a Starcrawler show, please amend that immediately! They’ll continue their headlining “She Said” tour before heading on the road with Jack White and Wet Leg. That’s definitely a lineup you shouldn’t miss!
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