What I expected to be the ultimate “performative male contest,” ended up being a breathtaking performance by the Canada-based indie band “Men I Trust.” They rocked The Fillmore Miami Beach on Nov. 23 to a sold out audience of more than 2,500 fans on their Equus tour.
This was my first time seeing the band live, though I have been a casual listener for a few years now.
Two hours before the doors opened, fans lined up around the block, dressed in their Saturday best. Some fans even wore wizard costumes imitating the cover art for the bands’ 2024 single “Husk.”
At around 8:30 p.m., Evan Wright, an indie music artist, and his band took to the stage to perform a short opening set of “country-tinged indie psychedelia” music before Men I Trust came on stage.
His indie aesthetic matched the vibe of the main act, perfectly setting the tone for the evening. .
Blue, yellow and red lighting cast the stage, leaving lead singer and guitarist Emmanuelle “Emma” Proulx in smoky clouds and shadows. At times, backlit white lights and smoke illuminated Proulx’s silhouette, giving the appearance of a halo around her head.
Guitarist Jesse Caron, keyboardist Dragos Chiriac, drummer Eric Maillet, bassist Alexis and Proulx herself worked together to keep the crowd entertained for more than an hour and a half.
The set kicked off with “To Ease You,” a song off of their fifth “Equus Caballas.” From the second level of the general admission standing area, I watched the front pit sway and jump to the soft and dreamy music.
Toward the back of the pit, people danced with each other, twirling and skipping, even when the music was more moody or slow.
I was captivated by Proulx’s airy and soft voice, particularly during songs like “Hard to See” and “Humming Man.” Her tone matched her laid-back outfit choice, as she was dressed in a plain long sleeve tee and a pair of grey jeans.
While there was minimal crowd work, Proulx did talk to the audience a little bit about the band’s last time in Miami, though the show she was talking about was technically in Fort Lauderdale.
Men I Trust performed alongside “Triathlon” at the Revolution Live venue on the “Untourable Album” tour at Fort Lauderdale in June 2023. Their quiet stage presence felt intentional and aligned with their mellow musical identity.
Many of the songs performed on this tour sound extremely similar. For $90 a ticket, this may not be everybody’s cup of tea. However, for such a small and intimate venue, I thought the ambiance and vibes were perfect, and the similarity of the music added to that.
Proulx and the band exited the stage after their song “Tailwhip,” seemingly wrapping up the set. After the entire venue erupted into chants of “encore,” the band returned to the stage and kicked off the second part of the performance with “Show Me How,” the band’s most popular song, which currently has more than 700 million streams on Spotify.
“Show Me How” sent a wave of energy through the crowd, with what felt like everybody in the venue singing back to the group. This is a must-experience show for any Men I Trust fan, from casual listeners, like myself, to die-hard fans.
One critique that I do have is the fan etiquette at this show. One fan in the general admission standing area lit a cigarette in the middle of the concert. The Fillmore is a smoke-free facility, and the fan who violated the policy did put a slight damper on the night.
Something that I have noticed is that no matter the size of the artist or the venue, there will always be a few people who just do not have any etiquette. This October, I had the pleasure of seeing Billie Eilish perform at the Kaseya Center, and an unruly fan yanked Eilish into the barricade.
The tour has so far been across the United States and a few cities in Canada, but will head back to Canada in December, to Asia in January and then to Europe in June of 2026.
Be sure to catch Men I Trust on the Equus tour on their home turf if you find yourself in Canada this December or January. View more tour dates and shop tour merch on the Men I Trust website.