Inhaler ended their North American tour in Vancouver, British Columbia on Nov. 10 at the historic Orpheum Theatre. The Orpheum, known for housing the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, opened its doors in November of 1927. Originally a vaudeville house, it transformed into a movie theatre before becoming the opulent music venue it’s known as today.
Inhaler, an indie-rock band originally from Dublin, Ireland, only had one Canadian date on their headlining tour, and it just so happened to be the last show before the band would take a break in anticipation of their next world tour and album release in early 2025.
I’ve been a fan of Inhaler since 2019 and this was my first opportunity to see them live. When I found out the concert was going to be held at the Orpheum, I was a bit wary as the acoustics don’t serve rock instrumentals and vocals all that well, and the floor seats cannot be removed and are on a slant. I decided to go anyway since I was such a big fan. I got tickets and seats in row 9 on the floor. Needless to say, it was an interesting setup; from the red velvet curtains to the tiny aisles, it was clear that this venue was made to enjoy a show while seated.
The concert opened with Benches, an indie band from San Diego. After some minor tech issues at the beginning, the theatre came alive; everyone was out of their seats and jumping around. This is where I noticed the slanted floors proving to be an issue, people kept losing their footing and almost falling over, myself included. After the half-hour set, there was an intermission where people took the opportunity to explore the velvet-clad theatre, get food, or buy merch.
Then the lights fell, and the anticipated quartet took the stage. It was electric! Inhaler opened with their hit song, “These Are The Days” to welcome the crowd. Despite the muffled acoustics, the band sounded amazing. Lead singer, Eli Hewson, belted his heart out throughout the concert, while bassist, Robert Keating, and guitarist, Josh Jenkinson, were angelic with the backing vocals. Ryan McMahon, the drummer, was fairly hidden in the back, but his skill was hard to miss. The entire band worked together seamlessly to turn the Orpheum Theatre into a rocking venue.
The concert set list featured some of their earlier music such as, “When it Breaks,” but also included the recently released, “Your House.” A fan favourite, “Who’s Your Money On (Plastic House)” was accompanied by a fan project with paper money with each of the band members’ faces on it falling from the balcony. The band even sang an unreleased song, “A Question of You” to come from their third and upcoming album Open Wide.Needless to say, I’m incredibly excited for its release. The band played two more songs before leaving the stage, but fans began chanting for an encore which the four happily obliged, playing “Just To Keep You Satisfied” and “My Honest Face” before officially calling it a night.
Overall, the concert was an amazing experience! I cannot wait for the band to come back to Canada, and hopefully it’s sometime soon. Despite the odd seating arrangement and lackluster acoustics, the good vibes radiated from floor to ceiling and was definitely a night to remember.