As World Cup mania starts to sweep the city, Australian festival favourites Cat Empire returned for their 19th and 20th shows at the Commodore Ballroom. With plenty of anthemic tunes that would feel equally at home being chanted in a football stadium or in their beloved Vancouver venue, what better way to kick off a FIFA-filled weekend?
The band leaned fully into the sporting excitement by pairing their Saturday night show with a viewing of Australia versus Turkey. Riding high on the back of a triumphant Aussie victory, I can only imagine how ecstatic the crowd was on that second night when Cat Empire took the stage for a late-night set. Even without this extra boost, the crowd was in fine form on Friday night, ready to dance away the evening to well-loved music executed to perfection.
It was hard to coax a Friday-night crowd away from the sunshine and FIFA-fuelled block-party atmosphere of Granville Street and into the Commodore. Nonetheless, the Bankes Brothers made a valiant effort to raise the energy in anticipation of the ultimate party band. Brothers in more than just name, the sibling frontmen commanded a strong stage presence, their vocals blending beautifully over feel-good, rootsy rock tunes. Hailing from Victoria, BC, it’s unlikely this will be the last we hear of the band’s foot-tapping beats and catchy hooks—the perfect complement to the warm-weather vibes.
This time around, Cat Empire’s set felt tailor-made for longtime fans, covering the best of their expansive discography, often reinvented in exciting new ways. Thudding drums and blaring horns roared through the room as the set bounced from recent favourite “Thunder Rumbles” to older standbys like “Brighter Than Gold” and “Two Shoes.” Frontman Felix Riebl moved effortlessly between keys, bongos, guitar, and more, all the while pouring energy into his characterful vocals as the band shapeshifted through genres.
Building from their origins in ska, rock, and funk into increasingly adventurous territory incorporating jazz and Afro-Latin influences, the group took the audience on a vibrant journey through world music. Each of the eight talented musicians on stage had a moment to shine, with every instrument and voice standing out clearly within the band’s rich tapestry of influences. The band even made room for their longtime tour manager to step into the spotlight and showcase his impressive guitar skills.
Despite playing hits like “Hello Hello,” a song they have literally been performing since their teenage years, the band kept things fresh by reworking arrangements to surprise and delight fans. “Sly” saw most of the group step away, leaving founding member Ollie McGill to wax poetic on the organ, complemented by a heart-stopping drum solo that accelerated to a breathless pace. As usual, the band launched into an extended encore with “Still Young,” effortlessly enticing the crowd to continue chanting its epic chorus long after they had left the stage.
They kept the party going, continuing to leave everything on the stage with more classics, including “Bulls,” “Days Like These,” and “The Chariot.” Just to challenge their already exceptional musical prowess, they also delivered a supercharged medley of tracks. Like a jukebox gone berserk, the band skipped seamlessly from style to style with remarkable precision, finishing with the stellar brass section spiralling upward into infinity through a slinky, circus-inspired melody while Felix draped himself in a Canadian flag modified with the band’s signature cat’s eye.
Beyond the overwhelming display of musicianship, there were countless good vibes, moments of joy, beads of sweat, and bursts of vibrant dancing from revelling concertgoers, and that enthusiasm did not go unnoticed. Felix made sure to acknowledge that the devoted audience was the band’s ninth member—and one they couldn’t do without—much in the same way sports fans are often considered part of the team.
Felix pushed the metaphor even further, drawing attention to the fact that tournaments like these are not really about who wins and loses so much as they are about bringing people together from all over the world, and music has that same power. “It’s about what collective voice gets raised,” he stated, “and that is the voice of joy.” In celebration of that idea, he jokingly proposed that the FIFA Peace Prize be taken away from Trump and given to all of us instead. The crowd embraced their role as the ninth member, joining their voices together in resonant choruses that lifted spirits throughout the night. It was yet another unforgettable Cat Empire performance, proving once again why fans simply can’t resist coming back again and again.