At the Pacific Coliseum on Friday, January 19

It’s hard to say why the men of Billy Talent have become the reigning kings of Canadian punk. They don’t share the toilet humour that propelled Sum 41 to the top. They don’t come off as cutesy punkers ?í  la Simple Plan. (In fact, guitarist Ian D’Sa’s bizarre freeze-dried flattop and soul-patch combo cements the group as anything but heartthrobs.) What is clear is that, even after stellar performances ?by some of the biggest names in punk rock (Rise Against and Anti-Flag, namely), the Toronto foursome knew how to bring a packed Pacific Coliseum to a proper boil before its set last Friday. The crowd quivered and squealed in anticipation as the houselights dimmed for Billy Talent. Standing behind a drawn white curtain, D’Sa mashed out the staccato opening notes of “This Is How It Goes”. Spotlights lit up silhouettes of each band member before the curtain dropped and vocalist Ben Kowalewicz ran to the front of the stage.

Despite Kowalewicz’s unending energy and his ability to work a crowd, it’s hard to believe that the kids are coming in droves for his voice; Canada’s top-drawing screamo vocalist shrieks like G.I. Joe’s Cobra Commander. His singing voice fared better, as he hit the high notes effortlessly, coming off more as a punk-rock Larry Gowan. He was a strange animal, indeed, one who perched catlike on the monitors for much of the show. Jon Gallant’s massive hockey-player build made him less graceful than his cohort, but the bassist lumbered around excitedly, occasionally shouting out backup vocals on songs like the jittery and assaultive “Line & Sinker”.

Mid-set, Kowalewicz shifted gears from girls to politics. “Stephen Harper ?is an evil man. Ignore the commercials telling you to join the army,” he said before launching into the antiwar “Worker Bees”, which was performed in front of an image ?of insects marching in front of a mock-swastika flag.

The quartet quickly got back to love-related songs. On “Surrender”, the frontman cupped his hands to his mouth as he recounted “every touch, every smile, every frown” of that special someone. Billy Talent raised the stakes late in the game by pulling out its signature song, “Try Honesty”. A breakdown mid-song, spiced up by Gallant’s jazzy bass riffing, had Kowalewicz praising his fans for all their support. “Thank you very much for making our dream come true,” he told the audience, reminding them that Billy Talent didn’t blow up overnight. “We’ve played every shithole across this country over the last 10 years.”

Billy Talent’s fellow road veterans in Rise Against were just as appreciative of their fans, as singer Tim McIlrath looked out to a crowd that made him “hopeful for the state of punk rock”. The Chicago group seamlessly mixes hardcore-edged punk tunes with anthemic pop rock. The chorus of “Give It All” prompted a massive sing-along before the band jumped back into the verses’ crunching power chords. No strangers to heavy music, Rise Against also gave the kids in the pit plenty to throw down to. On the U.S. government–damning “State of the Union” McIlrath leaped onto the speakers, launching a barrage of gravel-throated barks atop the speedy hardcore tune. Though the band is issues-oriented, the vocalist didn’t think twice about stepping off the soapbox in favour of doing a bit of Canuck brown-nosing. Between songs, he called show openers Moneen and Billy Talent two of the best bands around right now. To cap it off, bassist Joe Principe even wore a vintage SNFU shirt.

Pittsburgh punkers Anti-Flag couldn’t be accused of hiding their views. Standing in front of a giant upside-down American flag, the scrappy combo spoke about body-image issues and, of course, the government. “The power in this world doesn’t belong to celebutantes, presidents, or prime ministers. It belongs to the workers and the students,” said lanky guitarist Justin Sane. Regardless of whether the primarily Grade 8 crowd grasped the band’s ideals, they managed to mosh it up to fast and furious tunes like “Die for the Government”. Bassist Chris #2 proved the most entertaining of the group, jumping spread-eagle almost as often as he hit his bass. The floppy-Mohawked musician demanded the biggest circle pit ever, and the crowd did its best to sweep the Coliseum floor up in the moment.

Chris #2 claimed the show was the best the Pennsylvanians had ever played. Though Anti-Flag’s rich, decade-plus history makes the claim highly unlikely, the concert was hands down the best big-name punk show the city has seen in recent memory.