Seven Second Surgery 19th 1/4 Anniversary Tour: Faber Drive, Long Live The King, and Marty Oblak - Winnipeg, MB

There are few things quite like revisiting the soundtrack of your youth, especially when the bands responsible for those memories are still ready to deliver the songs that made them special. On October 16, 2026, Winnipeg's Park Theatre welcomed the Seven Second Surgery 19th 1/4 Anniversary Tour, bringing together Marty Oblak, Long Live The King, and Canadian pop-punk favourites Faber Drive for a night of nostalgia, singalongs, and reminders of just how deeply these songs have embedded themselves in a generation of music fans.

Headlined by Faber Drive, the tour celebrated the enduring appeal of the band's catalogue, mixing familiar favourites with newer material, unexpected covers, and a few spontaneous moments that gave the Winnipeg performance its own personality. It also marked the first time Faber Drive has performed in Winnipeg in fourteen years.

Marty Oblak. Photos by Samuel Stevens Photography

Opening the evening, Marty Oblak wasted little time establishing the mood with a compact four-song set. “Wolves,” “Control,” and “Level” offered an introduction to his sound before he closed with a cover of City and Colour's “The Death of Me.” The stripped-back selection provided an intimate opening chapter to a night that would eventually grow into a full-room celebration of Canadian alternative and pop-punk music.

Long Live The King followed, and the band performed a decently long enough set of original songs, with some covers sprinkled in too. Their appearance on the bill helped round out the evening's lineup ahead of the highly anticipated arrival of Faber Drive.

Long Live The King. Photos by Samuel Stevens Photography

When Faber Drive took the stage, the atmosphere shifted into full-on pop punk celebration. The band opened with “Timebomb,” immediately setting the pace for a set packed with recognizable hooks, energetic performances, and songs that transported the crowd back to the era when Canadian pop punk was a fixture on radio playlists and music television.

“Oblivious” and “Candy Store” kept the momentum rolling before “Second Chance” and “24 Story Love Affair” brought more familiar material into the spotlight. “Summer Fades,” “Died In Your Arms,” and “Life Is Waiting” continued the trip through the band's entire catalogue, giving longtime fans plenty of opportunities to reconnect with the music that helped define their formative years.

The set also made room for newer material. “Beat Of My Heart Goes,” the band's recent single, demonstrated that Faber Drive aren't simply content to revisit the past. Placing fresh music alongside established favourites gave the performance a sense of continuity, connecting the band's history with its ongoing creative journey. One of the evening's more reflective moments came with “Sleepless Nights (Never Let Her Go),” followed by “Oceans,” two songs that added a different emotional dimension to the performance. The band also ventured into more recent internet-pop territory with “death bed (coffee for your head),” the viral hit by Dave's son Powfu, which also features beabadoobee, offering a change of pace within their set.

Frontman Dave Faber kept the show conversational, sharing stories and engaging with the audience between songs. Before launching into “Give Him Up,” he revealed that it was only the second time the band had performed the song live in the past fifteen years. The rarity made it a particularly welcome inclusion for dedicated fans who have followed the band throughout its career.

Faber Drive. Photos by Samuel Stevens Photography

The surprises didn't stop there. Faber Drive's merch person, Kastor, stepped into the spotlight to sing The Killers' “Mr. Brightside,” turning the familiar anthem into an entertaining guest appearance and giving the crowd another reason to sing along.

A fan request provided another memorable moment when someone called out for “It Ends,” the original version of what would become “Tongue Tied.” Dave responded by performing a brief acoustic snippet before the band launched into “Tongue Tied” proper. It was an organic, fan-driven exchange that captured the appeal of a tour like this: beyond the rehearsed setlist, there was room for personal connections and little surprises that made the night feel unique to Winnipeg.

After working through an extensive main set, Faber Drive returned for an encore beginning with “When I'm With You.” But the band saved one of its most playful moments for last. For “G-Get Up and Dance!,” the musicians grabbed colourful wigs, adding a burst of visual silliness to the already celebratory atmosphere. It was a fitting finale for a show that never took itself too seriously while remaining firmly committed to giving the audience a great time.

The Seven Second Surgery 19th 1/4 Anniversary Tour's Winnipeg stop was ultimately a celebration of musical longevity, shared memories, and the lasting connection between a band and its audience. Marty Oblak provided an engaging opening, Long Live The King contributed to a varied bill, and Faber Drive delivered the evening's main attraction with a set that balanced nostalgia, newer songs, deep cuts, and spontaneous crowd interaction.

For fans who grew up with Faber Drive's music, the Park Theatre offered an opportunity to revisit those formative years without feeling as though the band was simply living in the past. Between the rare live performance of “Give Him Up,” Marty Oblak performing "Control" again a few songs into Faber's set, Kastor's turn on “Mr. Brightside,” the acoustic tease of “It Ends,” and the colourful-wig finale, the band made sure the night was about more than just playing the hits.

Nearly two decades on, these songs still have the power to bring people together, and in Winnipeg, Faber Drive gave their fans plenty of reasons to sing along, dance, and celebrate.