Silverstein Out Of This World (episode 3: the conclusion) review

Waking up in a field full of alpacas with an acoustic guitar after being kidnapped by aliens and forced to play Discovering The Waterfront front to back – this is where the third and final episode of Silverstein’s Out Of This World virtual concert series kicks off.

This weeks mission? Work out whether or not you’re really back on Earth or in a simulation while playing some stripped back and unplugged tracks. This is the one I’ve been most excited for.

Having already played the entirety of their biggest record and their big hits, I was wondering if Silverstein could concoct a setlist of high quality without repeating any songs (some of their greatest acoustic releases include ‘Call It Karma’, ‘Massachusetts’ and ‘The Afterglow’, all songs played on the hits set). However, the guys soon proved the depth of their discography; a near hour set with only one real misfire (‘True Romance’, though this stripped back rendition improves upon the original).

There were some true gems in amongst their performance, the highlight being the gorgeous ‘Aquamarine’, rendered so perfectly that I was transfixed throughout. I Am Alive In Everything I Touch got some more (well deserved) love as well, with ‘Late On 6th’ and ‘Toronto’, two brilliant performances. On top of this, Paul Marc Rousseau took the mic for ‘Arrivals’, absolutely blowing my mind, before Shane delivers ‘Departures’ and the two harmonise gorgeously for the climax. This series has had its highs, but that for me was the greatest moment of all.

Some deeper cuts, two tracks from Short Songs and one from the Transitions EP, kept the setlist fresh and interesting, and we finally heard ‘Red Light Pledge’. The alternate of ‘Where Are You’ was the obvious choice from their new record, as was ‘California’ from This Is How The Wind Shifts. ‘To Live And To Lose’, however, was a wonderful curveball.

I have always said Silverstein acoustic renditions are god tier, and they proved me right. Again, the story was but background, following two detectives investigating the band’s initial disappearance and ending with the haunting realisation that these disappearances happen all over the world. A fitting conclusion, but open ended enough for a season 2 if the vaccine doesn’t work.

That being said, I want the vaccine to work. Maybe they could do a stage version instead?