w/ Hannah Georgas | 8:00PM | 6161 Delmar Blvd. | All ages | $35-50
Acclaimed Toronto indie rock collective Broken Social Scene (BSS) brings their 2023 tour to the Pageant this Thursday, October 5th. They are touring in celebration of the 20th anniversary of their seminal sophomore album You Forgot It in People, released in October 2002. The St. Louis date is the penultimate stop of the tour, which will wrap up the following day with a performance at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl.
BSS was founded in 1999 by multi-instrumentalists Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew. The group’s sound was originally in a similar vein as other instrumental rock outfits like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, combining elements of post-rock with lo-fi ambient textures on their solid debut 2001 album Feel Good Lost. It was on their sophomore album, You Forgot It in People, that BSS introduced their bold and defining vision of a true chamber rock collaborative, with the album featuring strings, brass, and multiple guitarists, keyboardists, percussionists, and vocalists. This orchestral approach gave their music a degree of scope, ambition, and sophistication that has been almost unrivaled to this day.
Over the years, the group’s ranks would swell to include a veritable who’s who of Toronto indie royalty, including the singer-songwriter Feist, as well as members of Do Make Say Think and Metric. Although BSS’ extended cast fluctuates depending on the availability of its members, its core lineup has always centered around founding members Drew and Canning, as well as drummer Justin Peroff, multi-instrumentalist Andrew Whiteman, and guitarist Jason Collett.
BSS’ most recent St. Louis show was also at the Pageant, in September 2017. Prior to that, they were one of the headlining acts at LouFest 2010.
Thursday’s show will open with a set from Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Hannah Georgas, who is currently signed to Arts & Crafts, the indie label managed by BSS co-founder Kevin Drew (who is preparing to release a solo album of his own, Aging, on the label on November 3rd). BSS will then play a set featuring the bulk of You Forgot It in People, as well as other songs from throughout their discography. | David Von Nordheim
Broken Social Scene on tour:
10.02.23 | Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
10.03.23 | Indianapolis, IN @ HI-FI Annex
10.04.23 | Louisville, KY @ Headliners
10.05.23 | St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
10.06.23 | Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
12.15.23 | Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall
