SPILL LIVE REVIEW: PROTOMARTYR w/ J.R.C.G. @ THE CONCERT HALL, TORONTO

PROTOMARTYR w/ J.R.C.G.

@ THE CONCERT HALL, TORONTO

NOVEMBER 7, 2026

Protomartyr, the iconic post-punk band from Detroit returned to Toronto in support of their latest album, Hotel Usona, an icy record that continues the band’s string of critically acclaimed music.

Seattle band J.R.C.G. opened for them, setting the mood perfectly. The underground band is signed to Sub Pop and has just released their label debut Grim Iconic…(Sadistic Mantra). They won the audience over with their blend of post-punk, krautrock, and noise, without a doubt gaining a whole new room of fans. Impress your friends by introducing them to this band. They will not be disappointed.

After a high-quality infomercial for the fictional Hotel Usona, Protomartyr walked on stage cast as a silhouette, with lead singer Joe Casey unmistakably holding a can of beer. They opened with “The Old Hotel,” “Sounds We Cannot Hear,” and “Converts.”

They also played a lot of songs off their 2017 album Relatives in Descent including “The Windsor Hum” which was a serious standout. Casey’s impassioned vocals were out of this world. “It says want, want, want, want, want what you are given/Need, need, need, need, need what you’ll never have,” he belted out, his voice echoing off the walls as if the hall was empty. It’s too bad Protomartyr doesn’t have any live albums widely available because that track would wear out a lot of people’s speakers.

“Lavender – Gospel” was another incredible moment, it’s a very cold and atmospheric song. Casey’s voice is melodic but filled with dread as he sings about A.I. assisted drones becoming increasingly common in warfare. It’s one of their more bone chilling and political songs, which has always been a strong suit of theirs.

They ended the set with “The Chuckler,” “Half Sister,” and “Checking out,” but came back out for a five-song encore consisting of older material such as “Pontiac 87,” “Jumbo’s” and “The Devil in His Youth.” The official last song of the night was “Processed by the Boys,” a harrowing song to end on.

(Photography by Cory Barter)

Protomartyr Photos

J.R.C.G. Photos

Protomartyr Links

J.R.C.G. Links