Taiwan’s 八三夭 831 to play Vancouver as part of first North American tour

by Mike Usinger on January 18th, 2024 at 12:45 PM

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Taiwanese rock alchemists八三夭 831 are headed to Vancouver on February 16, marking one of two Canadian stops on the band’s first-ever North American tour. The five-piece will play the Enso Event Centre, which, depending on your vintage, you might know better for past incarnations that include 86 Street, The Rage, and Plush.

Often, somewhat bizarrely, referred to as the “Asian Simple Plan”, 八三夭 831 formed in 2003 with a formula that combines new-millennium emo, symphonic metal, pop-punk, speed-jacked electronica, and old-school hip-hop. (Honestly, that sounds more like Sum 41 on “Fat Lip” or Weezer on “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived”, but who are we to argue?)

Since forming—with a name inspired by the last day of the summer before high-school—八三夭 831 has released six full-lengths, with songs (““Iron Man”, “The Hunger Games”, “The Runaway”) often inspired by pop culture, and lyrics not afraid to tackle social issues.

But the real reason to get excited about八三夭 831 at the Enso Event Centre is that it’s one of those rare instances when you get a band that’s massive overseas playing an intimate room on these shores. In 2018 the group headlined shows for 20,000 fans at stadiums in Taipei and Kaohsiung.

In Vancouver you’re getting the chance to see them in a venue that holds just under a thousand people. Which is to say: act quickly when tickets go on sale at 10am on January 19, or be prepared to be on the outside looking in.