By Yuri Woodfall
Western Lead, Photojournalist – Sound Check Entertainment
The night at Midway Music Hall began in a slow burn.
Pure Hex opened with Still Dark, and the name couldn’t have been more fitting. The room was dim, conversations still fluttering near the bar, but the band wasted no time pulling focus. Their layered guitars shimmered with restraint, letting tension build rather than explode.
Spilling widened the sonic palette, the rhythm section locking in with a steady pulse while guitars hovered and swelled overhead. By Silence, irony hung thick in the air – the track grew from delicate to enveloping, commanding attention across the floor.
They sharpened the edges with Trick of the Light, pushing a little more urgency into the room, before leaning into groove-heavy momentum on She Comes Up. Web and Wick felt hypnotic and cinematic, stretching its atmosphere like a slow inhale.
By the time Spare Me hit, the crowd was fully attentive – heads up, eyes forward. They closed with Heavy Moon, a fitting finale that bloomed outward instead of detonating, leaving the venue warmed and primed for what was coming next.
Pure Hex didn’t just open. They prepared the ground.
When Silversun Pickups stepped onstage, the temperature shifted instantly.
They launched into New Wave, and it felt less like an opener and more like a declaration. The guitars came in jagged and bright, cutting through a wash of saturated purples and icy blues. The Wreckage followed with muscular urgency, the rhythm section driving forward with a pulse you could feel in your ribs.
Well Thought Out Twinkles shimmered with that familiar swirling tension before It Doesn’t Matter Why sharpened the edges even further. By Panic Switch, the room was fully ignited – the bassline thick and commanding, the crowd locked in and moving as one.
They dipped into the cinematic sweep of Au Revoir Reservoir, letting the sound stretch wide, then pivoted into the swagger of The Royal We. Witness Mark and Kissing Families layered nostalgia with force, while Empty Nest added a slightly reflective undercurrent.
Mid-set, Hot Wired and Mean Spirits kept the energy taut and electric before Long Gone deepened the mood with a touch of weight and texture. When Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance) rolled in, it carried that hypnotic sway the band does so well – immersive and patient.
Then came Dots and Dashes, snapping tight and urgent, followed by Running Out of Sounds, which felt expansive and resonant inside Midway’s walls. Interrobang added a punchy jolt, and Growing Old Is Getting Old washed over the crowd with emotional heft.
They closed with Lazy Eye – and there it was. The singalong. The surge. The moment where the entire room seemed to lift at once. Guitars roared, voices rose, and the final notes rang out like a release.
Throughout the night, Brian Aubert’s understated stage presence contrasted beautifully with the explosive sound behind him, while Nikki Monninger’s bass grounded the chaos with precision. The band didn’t rely on theatrics; they relied on immersion.
Pure Hex built the atmosphere.
Silversun Pickups built the storm.
By the time the lights came up, Midway Music Hall felt transformed – ears ringing, hearts full, and that lingering hum following everyone out into the Edmonton night.
