Pearl Jam - September 12, 2011, ACC, Toronto

___________

"So?  Best concert ever, right?!  Right?!!!"

~ Mandy, post show.

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I was a Pearl Jam virgin. 

Not in that I've been completely untouched by them... only that I've never seen them live before last night.

In the early 90s, when they first hit, I immediately loved them.  I think "Ten" is one of my favorite albums of theirs, because it struck me at the time when the whole grunge/alt movement hit out of Seattle.  I formed a connection with that album because it was connected to a specific time in my life.  So I've always "known" Pearl Jam.  Furthermore, I adore Eddie Vedder - I really think that he is one of the living Gods of music.  He'll be one of the greats they talk about, no question.  But when I'm looking for something to listen to, they are not generally a go-to band for me, in the sense that I "feel" when I listen to them.  When it comes to me and music, this can change in a heartbeat... it only takes a lyric or a chord or a drum beat to unexpectedly hook me in and then I become obsessed with that particular band/artist.   It depends on my frame of mind and things I'm experiencing at the time in order for the "switch" to be flicked.  For Pearl Jam, I enjoy them greatly, but was never emotionally connected to them like some other bands/artists.  My love however, has always run deep for Eddie and that will never change.  He is a great voice in rock - in the unique way he sounds, the things he stands for, and his musical creativity.  It was about time I saw them live.

I have to say...I wasn't sure I was feeling it when they started out.  It had all been built up so much for me that I was thinking to myself that yes, okay, they were good, but it wasn't anything earth shattering.  Don't get me wrong - the music was good, Eddie was all high energy and amazingly fun to watch and I started to think that Mike McCready may very well rival Eddie as my favorite band member after watching him play.  So I was entertained, no doubt, but no goosebumps.

Then they played Dissident and things started to take a turn and they started to pull me in.  Eddie took a break to talk to us for a bit and relayed that the first time they played in Toronto was in 1991.  He said they "played 7 songs that night.  But we'll play a few more tonight...maybe 8".  (they played an epic 30 songs... 30!)

And my initial thought that Eddie Vedder is a musical God was bang on.  I've never seen a man exude musical goodness in the way he moved, the way he sounded and the way he just "became".  The man just goes with it.  Love it.

It did surprise me that there were very few moments of discussion.  Knowing the band and their involvement in a lot of issues, I thought they would be a bit more chatty.  They did mention the release of the West Memphis Three as an intro to the Fixer, and they teased us a little with the possibility of a Neil Young appearance for the second night in a row during the first encore ("Sorry, Neil couldn't make it - he had to work tonight"), but for the most part, it was all about the music.

And the music did get continuously better.  Seemed there was a massive build and I definitely enjoyed the second half of the show more than the first.  Favorite moments?  Do the Evolution and Alive got the crowd frenzied and it upped the energy of the ACC.  I also really loved Wish List, Present Tense and Light Years, and of course the cover of Baba O'Riley was mint.  But finally, worthy of honorable mention, they closed the show with Yellow Ledbetter.  This is a great song.  Here's the thing with that "switch" I talked about earlier and whether or not I'll grasp on and dive in in an obsessive way to a particular band/artist....  I have no idea what Eddie is singing in this song - the lyrics are a jumble of mumble-itis ("mumble, mumble, box or a bag" (?)).  For this one, it's not necessarily about meaning that turns me on, its very much about the auditory pleasure it gives.  I listened to an interview recently by another musician I really dig, where he explained that in the songwriting process, he believes that melody is probably more important than lyrical content - that the lyrics are important, but the "hook" of a great melody is what draws one in to give it a second listen...and then the lyrics keep you.  I was not sold on this concept initially, because my love of music is very lyrically driven - it can sound pretty, but if you don't have anything relevant to say, I'm not going to form a connection to it.  I think this is a good example of what this musician was trying to convey.... The melody or some other musical aspect of a song other than a verbal language consisting of lyrics IS what the artist is communicating to the listener in Yellow Ledbetter.  Love the bookending guitar solo bits in the live setting...performed ever so wonderfully by Mike McCready, sitting on a speaker for the ending notes, plucking it out solo while the crowd swayed beneath him adoringly.  Listening to Yellow Ledbetter with a whole new appreciation today.  That was my goosebumps moment.  What a fitting end.

Was it awesome?  A fantastic night of rock and roll?  Yes.  Was it the best concert ever?  Not sure I can give it that brand because I didn't have a non-stop emotional connection to it until closer to the end.  But I will say this - I believe my "switch" has been flicked.  I've been listening to Pearl Jam all day.  The desire to "re-live" always tells the tale.

Set List:

Go

Animal

Olé

Hail Hail

In My Tree

Sad

Dissident

Setting Forth (Eddie Vedder song)

Corduroy

Gods' Dice

Deep

Garden

Wishlist

Even Flow

Present Tense

Rats

State Of Love And Trust

The Fixer

Porch

Encore:

Last Kiss (Wayne Cochran cover)

Just Breathe

I Got Id (Cinnamon Girl tag)

Light Years

Jeremy

Why Go

Encore 2:

Do The Evolution

Alive

Kick Out the Jams (MC5 cover)

Baba O'Riley (The Who cover)

Yellow Ledbetter

Manchester Orchestra - The Mod Club, Toronto, May 16, 2011

So it's been a week and a half since this show.  And I've had a hard time finding the words to write about it.  (For those of you who know me, you are likely saying "who are you and what have you done with Lindsay?!  Generally, finding words is never a problem.  Reigning them in is usually the kicker).  I'm reminded of a conversation I had with my co-worker Mandy, also a music lover, who says she would have a hard time reviewing her favorite band's live show, because it would boil down to "They were awesome! (emphasis on the exclamation mark!!!  End of review)"  Have been kinda feeling like that until tonight where having listened to the new album on the way home my brain started churning and the floodgates have opened up!

I love this band.  Like, really, REALLY love them.  And it baffles me that they aren't so much bigger and well known than they are.  They have a great formation story, a fantastic group dynamic, and they are incredibly savvy at getting themselves out there to the public.  They have produced some great albums (for such a "young" band, they have a lot of very deep and meaningful material), and they are an eclectic group that have some interesting things to say.  They are a band that are right up my alley because the writing is from the depths of their souls.  They really mean it.  And a band that means it really does it for me.  Put more eloquently by Chris Shaban at the Far Beyond Footnotes 4 part article on the band, (and a highly recommended....no required (!) read to get the full goods on Manchester Orchestra in a very entertaining and freakishly informative presentation):  "Hailing from the area surrounding Atlanta, Georgia and weighing in at a combined weight of 5 dudes, Manchester Orchestra is the kind of band that doesn’t wear their heart on the sleeve, it actually removes it from their collective chest and places it directly in front of the listener".  A-Freakin-Men, Chris Shaban.  This is a band that bleeds its art. 

My attendance at a Manchester Orchestra show has been a long time coming.  I had a FB friend who a little over a year ago messaged me, saying it seemed I saw a lot of live music, and that one of his favorite bands was playing in Toronto that week and I should check them out. I didn't make the show at the Phoenix last year, but in further conversations with said friend, (he being the inspiration for this blog), I did end up acquiring, listening to, and loving Manchester Orchestra's material.  My first real post in this blog was actually a review of their stuff.  (read it HERE if you want to know how I felt about them having been freshly introduced).  Fast forward to a few months ago, eagerly awaiting the new album ("Simple Math"....listen HERE, then go get it!!) and word of a tour, there was no way I was missing their T.O. show this time around and grabbed tickets as soon as they went on sale.  Was pleased that the show was taking place at the MOD club - great venue for the vertically challenged in the grand scheme of Toronto bar type venues.  Open room to accommodate a sea of moshing music fans...but they have a balcony, where I can place my (elderly) "ass too close to the sidewalk" self in an elevated direct view of what's happening on stage without risk of bodily harm.  Sweet!

So settled into our primo balcony spot, we were ready for an evening of hard core music.  There were 3 opening bands:

Harrison Hudson:   I liked these guys.  Those who actually did the required reading referenced above will see that Harrison Hudson has ties to Manchester Orchestra from way back.  HH looked more like an accountant than a rocker, but they sounded great.  Drummer was extremely enjoyable to watch as well.  I've said it before, I'll say it again....there is really nothing more entertaining and enjoyable than focusing on a drummer going to it.  There was nothing especially attractive about this guy until he started pounding on his drums...and then I was mesmerized by him.

O' Brother:  (aka, Poster Boys for an Herbal Essence commercial).  These guys were absolutely fascinating!  They were hard core head banging rockers.  The singer/guitar player had a really great and unique voice, but the crowd pleaser was the bassist.  He had a long, flowing, shiny mane of hair that he proceeded to thrash around for the duration of the set.  We were absolutely hypnotized by it!  And then he spit sparkle dust into the air!  Twice!  (I'm not shitting you...he really did!).  As well as being entertaining to watch, they were a solid sounding band with a heavy alt-rock sound.  I may check them out further.

An Horse:  By the time An Horse hit the stage I was cranky.  It was already 10pm-ish and I was getting a little antsy to see the band I was there to see.  Get ON with it already.  They were good - consisted of an androgynous looking girl who sang and played guitar and a drummer.  Again, good sound, but enough already, bring on M.O. and I was willing to accept no substitutes at this point!  It was Monday night and I was tired and it was very closely approaching "pastmybedtime" on a night I had to "havemyass@mydeskat9AMthenextday" situation.  I was seriously fading...(not very rock and roll of me, but cut me some slack.  I'm a single Mom who works in banking to pay the bills...Rocker chick is my side job/alter ego.  When I win the lottery, I can do this full time....kay?!).
Enter Manchester Orchestra:

The moment they hit the stage, all crankiness subsided and every fiber of my being was wide a-freakin'-wake.  I don't know a band that can rock the hell out of our national anthem, but MO did it to open the show.  (and seeing a crowd full of alt rockers/Andy look-a-like/wannabes belting out Oh Canada at the top of their lungs put a smile on my face that stayed there for the rest of the night!)

They played a wide selection from their older, and their newly released album and the flow of the show was fantastic.  Andy would whip the crowd up into a frenzy with a hard pumping tune like "Shake it Out", and keep THAT momentum going through the entire set.  These were fans...they knew every tune and belted it out along with the band.

Tim

Jonathan

I didn't really know where to focus!  Chris was a maniac on keys and drums (and barefoot - I've never seen such expressive feet before!).  The man did not stop moving for a second...the music flowed through his body like a non-stop electrical current.  Robert rocked the shit out of his guitar.  He's a tiny little man...and the dude can play.  Jonathan kind of hung back behind Robert with the bass but I found my eye line being drawn to him frequently.  M.O. songs have a lot of very cool bass lines throughout so it was hard not to be caught up by him.  Tim Very on drums was putting on a class in awe inspiring intensity.  But it was Andy, as any good front man should, that held my attention the most.  With frantic guitar playing, and a spectrum of vocals from whispery to belt out screams, Andy conducted the band, and the audience expertly.  We, especially, were at his mercy, worshipping at the alter of Manchester O.



Robert



Chris



Andy "speaking" to an audience member....



Non-musical stand out moments:  Andy bent over to speak to someone in the crowd a couple of times.  And then came to the mic to apologize saying he'd witnessed some woman beating and that "he isn't a fan!"  (caught on YouTube during "100 Dollars" if you want to see it).  And, as the crowd became more and more frenzied and the moshing became more and more violent, Andy actually worked a plea into the lyrics of the song for the crowd to calm....when they didn't take the hint, he marched to the mic and said "I'm serious...stop fucking moshing!" then changed the lyric to the next verse to "I'm sorry we aren't a hard-core band".  There was no more moshing happening - the disciples were told and obediently stopped!  When your God speaks, you listen!  

Loved as well the comradery between band members.  While their lyrics are sometimes deep and brooding, you can tell they all really like each other.  Any life drama they endure may get worked into their songs, however, there is a genuine affection for each other that is plain to see.  Couple of moments of Andy and Robert good naturedly ribbing each other, and then them hugging it out.

Stand out moments of the musical variety (my oh-so-favorite kind!):

For me, my favorite moment had to be when they played "The River".  This tune was a stand out for me when I first heard the recorded version - it's a definite "build" song.  It starts out soft but layers into a blistering intensity.  Hearing it live was mint.  Andy worked himself into such a frenzy wailing away on the guitar and feeling the lyrics that he broke his strap and it clattered to the floor...but no matter, he picked it up, carried on playing and singing while the tech came and fixed it for him.  Even with the guitar a little out of tune from the impact, it was a mind blowing display and made the performance a little more raw and real.

Also, a lot of my favorites off the new album sounded fantastic in a live setting.  There is a lot going on stylistically and structurally in songs like "Virgin", "April Fool" and my current favorite off the new album "Pale Black Eye", and even the title track.  Stripped down for the live performance, they sounded even better.  Just goes to show that a well written song, musically and lyrically, stands up and then some when altered for a live setting.  Only tune I didn't really care for live was "The Only One", because they messed with the tempo, but even then, I can't say it wasn't good.  

In a fitting ending, the band (joined by members of the various opening bands), sent out the final prayer/blessing with "Where Have You Been" on a darkened stage.  It was an epic and frenetic take over their bodies display, finishing with Andy, alone, curled up in fetal position on the stage uttering his last note while the feedback of the guitar droned on.  Everything they had in them, blood, guts, soul, was left on that stage.  And in a tell tale sign that I was enthralled for the duration, I couldn't believe it was over, as it felt like it was about 10 minutes even though they played a little over an hour and a half.

 In closing (yes, finally...is anyone even still reading?), I do need to say this.....I had a conversation with a fellow music lover about Manchester Orchestra where he admitted that they were very cool in my various attempts to get him on board with them, but that they just didn't "viscerally kick him in the ass". I get his point - in order to love a band the way "I" love Manchester Orchestra, you need to feel that connection to them, where they reach you on an emotional, or "feel it in your guts" way. As a music fan who "listens to feel" as opposed to "listens to hear", I get it.... They just hadn't reached him. (Yet.  I shall keep trying!).  Love of music is not something you can quantify... it's a lyric that grabs your attention and means something to you, or a melody that sticks with you and draws you in as it flows through your brain.  Or an emotional punch of a piece of a song that you can personally connect with that opens you up to them.  It's not something you can achieve by watching a few YouTube videos or listening to a couple clips of songs usually.  You need to give in to a baptism, and it will either happen or it won't.  However.....  Had he been at this show, he'd have walked out a convert, no question.  His ass would have been viscerally kicked black and blue, and he'd be feeling the reverberation of it for a good long while.  There is no way you could walk out of this show and NOT leave having been affected on some deeper level.  God I love the live band experience!

Hallelujah and Amen.  Religious experience (of the musical variety) achieved.  (and then some!)

Set List:
(Note:  I have yet to find a complete set list for this show - the below are tunes I know they played, but in no particular order.)

Virgin, April Fool, Pensacola, Simple Math, Shake it out, Pride, The River, Everything to Nothing, My Friend Marcus, 100 Dollars, I've got friends, The only one, Where Have You Been.

Neil Young - May 11, 2011, Massey Hall

Neil Young is one of those musical treasures.  He is unique (his hauntingly beautiful voice is instantly recognizable to anyone, regardless of age) and is a true poetic artist who tells stories through his songs.  It is my opinion that we don't have enough storytellers in music today (a belief further cemented by our pre-show eat and drink at Jack Astors where repetitive thumping nonsense was pumped through the speakers for the duration to my supreme annoyance).  You may not dig Neil's sound, but I don't think there is a person around who doesn't appreciate the talent of the artist he is.

To witness Neil Young live, at Massey Hall (a place that other artists I've seen here even refer to with great reverence as "Neil's House") was a real treat...one for the books, for damned sure.

The opener:

Bert Jansch, a Scottish folk singer opened the show.  I have no idea if I liked him or not because I was tense with annoyance for his entire set.  I don't know about you, but when I enter Massey Hall, I am not under the impression that I'm sitting in my living room.  And when trying to listen to a one man with guitar folk act, there shouldn't be a competition for my attention between him on stage, and the guys behind me discussing their hot yoga class that day.  Loudly.  I was ready to throw down with these two.  I've said it before, I'll say it again...not into the opening act?  Cool - hang out at the bar until the act that you paid to see hits the stage or shut the hell up if you're too lazy to move your yoga toned ass out of your seat.  Have some friggin' respect.  And then...the people who owned the four seats in front of us showed up.  3 guys, one girl.  The girl and her boyfriend were obviously having some kind of spat.  The two other guys (the word "lunkheads" immediately came to mind) were a little too bulky for their seats and couldn't sit still.  At one point, Lunkhead A knocked his hat off his head and it landed in my lap.  To my surprise, he turned around and reached into my lap to retrieve it.  Seriously.  (shaking head).  Sigh.... once Bert was done, we headed outside for some air, sending up a silent prayer to the Music Gods that the crowd would behave when Neil came on.

Jonathan Demme came on stage to introduce Neil.  He was filming the show to round out the Neil Young concert trilogy.  He asked for the crowd's cooperation in interacting with Neil between songs instead of during, and having experienced the bad behaviour of the audience for the opening act, I figured he was S.O.L.  But I'm pleased to say that the crowd dug deep and found their respect for the artist about to take the stage....  There was a lot of hollering in between songs, and to Jakki's and my amusement, the screams of "I love you Neil" all came from men (!)

Neil:

Neil lumbered on stage wearing a straw hat and looking rather dapper, slowly picked up his guitar and opened the show with "Hey, Hey, My, My", and it was absolutely amazing.  We've started seeing some artists that have had decades long careers in the past couple of years out of respect for their legendary status and because who knows if we will get the opportunity to see them again.  I can honestly say that Neil Young sounds as good at 65 as he did in his prime...the voice is the very same:  haunting and incredibly unique, and the man still radiates a cool that artists a fraction of his age will never capture.  Filled me with pride that this jewel is one of ours.  He moved across the stage with laid back ease.  He was great to watch between songs, taking a moment to decide which instrument he was going to pick up next and ambling over to it.  The crowd was bent forward, watching, and his movements were slow and deliberate... and he always had a place to hang his hat while he took it off to either slowly and deliberately remove or put on the harmonica.  Just cool... best word to describe the man.  Cool.

He played a close to 2 hour set that was filled with old classics and a pretty hefty selection off the new album "Le Noise".  The new stuff  has a lot of more electric guitar driven tunes.  While I enjoy the album, I'm still a bigger fan of his older more intimate stuff.  "Down by the River", "I Believe in You" and "Helpless" were pure magic in the Massey Hall setting.  (Hear the audio only recording of Helpless here from his May 10th show).  But surprisingly, one of my favorites of the night was off the new album - "Peaceful Valley Blvd".  When he strummed the last chord, Jakki leaned over to me and whispered "Best History Lesson Ever" and she was absolutely bang on with that sentiment.  This one was presented to us with truth, sadness and bitter sweet beauty, and the sold out crowd took it in with a well deserved quiet respect and awe.

There were a few parts to the show that I didn't really care for.  For the majority of the electric guitar driven tunes played, he seemed to be experimenting with the sound by way of feedback coming off the amps/speakers.  While I say "good on him" for being experimental and respect the hell out of creative license, it just didn't really appeal to me.  During the encore for example, while playing "Walk With Me", he took his guitar and waved and twirled it back and forth in front of the amps to produce sound out of the resulting feedback.  T'was not pleasing to me.  I'm not sure if it was the venue (I've seen some heavy electric driven stuff in Massey and it CAN accomodate it), or the fact that I like my Neil a little more Tom Thomson than Jackson Pollock, but I personally didn't find it worked.  (I shudder to say that it sounded like "noise" lest I be accused of showing my age....but it sounded like "noise").

Every show, I pick a song I want to hear going in.  I love "After the Gold Rush".  Like, really, really love it.  But I didn't enjoy it performed at the show because he chose to play it on the organ.  I'm not a fan of the organ.  It reminds me of church.  While it can be argued that we were at the church of Massey Hall and worshipping at the alter of Neil, I find the choice of the organ took away from the beauty of the song.  I find organs tend to remind me of "Muzak", and what a horrible thought to run through your head listening to one of your favorite songs.  Again, poetic license and good on him for changing things up, but I'd have liked to hear this one, especially, classic.

And finally, as great a story teller as he is, there was only one short moment where he actually addressed the audience prior to playing "Leia" on the piano.  Neil is such a great story teller through his songs, I was hoping to hear the man speak to us in his non-musical voice.  However, this wasn't a huge problem for me as his work talks volumes and I was content to let the music be the voice for the evening.

An incredible night of music, with an incredible musical legend.  Even the lunkheads were filled with respect.  And if that doesn't tell you something about the man and his ability to teach us with musical magic, I don't know what does.

Set List:

Hey, Hey, My, My (Out Of The Blue)
Tell Me Why
Helpless
You Never Call
Peaceful Valley Boulevard
Love and War
Down by the River
Hitchhiker
Ohio
Sign of Love
Leia
After the Gold Rush
I Believe in You
Rumblin’
Cortez the Killer
Cinnamon Girl
ENCORE:
Walk With Me

David Gray - February 25, 2011, Massey Hall, Toronto, ON

We've seen David Gray before - recently actually.  He and Ray LaMontagne played a double bill at the Molson Amphitheatre in August. (see blog here) That show... ehhh, not completely enjoyable for reasons that were not the fault of the musicians playing that night, so we decided to give him another try, in a venue that was more suited to his genre.  Massey Hall is the right place for his genre of soul baring stuff.

We were late getting tickets to this show, so ended up in the gallery.  Good seats, you can see everything, however, gallery seats (the balcony ABOVE the balcony) are wooden and very close together.  I have very short legs and still felt folded in half and have a dent in my knee from where it was wedged up against the seat in front of me this morning...and the tall guy next to me resembled someone folded into a clown car so can't imagine how he feels today.  The contortionist position that was crippling me by the minute was a wee bit distracting and I'm paying for it this morning as every joint is launching a very vocal protest.  No pain, no gain though...I'm no artist, but I'm willing to suffer for the art of others.  :-)

Lisa O'Neill

David came out on stage to introduce the opening act (I've never seen that before...was kind of cool).  Lisa O'Neill, very Irish, was discovered by him on You tube.  She was quirky, and confident, and good... jury is still out on whether or not I liked her.  Her bizarre nature and enunciated delivery in strong voice was... interesting.  She did a cover of "Raglan Road" that Jakki (my true Irish music buddy who knows about this stuff first hand) said was the slowest stripped down version of the song she's ever heard...that it is normally a rousing 4AM drunk outta your gourd sing along at the top of your lungs song... Not having any particular life experience to the song, I found it very pretty in it's quietness and it was a sweetly mournful change-up to her comedic 'pluckyness'.

After a brief intermission, David Gray and his band arrived on stage.  As expected, he was all British dapperness decked out in a full brown suit.  He was downright shiny.  One of the things that irked me at the last show we saw was his polished buttoned down professionalism (before you balk with a "what the hell is wrong with that", let me explain...):  When I'm seeing a live show, I'm not looking for polished technique, I want the artist to let go, feel it, and connect with me on an emotional level.  (i.e., stop worrying about where you're gonna put your hands and just *touch* me already... THAT's what makes it good for me.)  The last show we saw of his, he was flawless, but it was all a little, well, cold.  He did everything right...it just lacked an emotional warmth in that particular sea of humanity setting.  But this was Massey Hall baby....Magic things happen in that building....

First few songs and he had already begun to let loose.  The man moves...he has a head bop like a bobble head, and a crazy spastic left leg stomp/twitch as he plays that is absolutely fascinating to watch.  Love it!  He's feeling it and it's flowing out of his polished British bod!

He sat at the piano for the song "Ain't No Love" and explained that he had written this one for a movie soundtrack.  Said that the gist of the song questions what it is that we cling to to get us through...is it love?  Or is it survival?  He thinks it's survival.  And as he launched into the song and got lost in it, he performed it so beautifully and with such feeling that it moved me to tears, no shit.  Hands down, my favorite song of the night.  Was my connection moment for sure.

The band left the stage and he took a solo turn with guitar (included "Flame Turns Blue" and a new, unreleased song called "It Accumulates").  In a venue like Massey Hall, where the natural acoustics of the room provide total magic like no other, I can only imagine how it must feel to be the instrument of such rich and beautiful sound, and to hear it flow around you.  It just has to make your soul right.  After the first song with him solo onstage, a band member started to walk back out to take his place... but he waived him back.  And performed a second song.  Then after that, held up his hand towards backstage with a "one more" gesture and a giddy grin.  (I know!)  He told jokes (yes!  He did!), had the audience laughing, and was full of smiles.  You could literally feel the physical happiness he was experiencing.  For a musician who I would generally characterize as very serious (okay...downright grumpy...dour even), I can't express how contagious the enjoyment was throughout the audience to experience this with him.

When the band did come back to join him onstage the musical goodness carried on, clocking in the show at a good 2+ hours.  A few highlights (for me):

They performed a foot stomping, almost ... country -fried version of Fugitive that was freakin' amazing, a jazzed up version of "Foundling" that I swear we heard him "scat" a little during, and a fantastic version of Babylon.  I LOVE the message in this particular song, but the album version with the "wakachika, wakachika" back beat leaves me a little cold.  They ditched this, and subbed in some jangly guitar strums to change it up and make it a feel good sing a long with a softer, more free feel that absolutely worked.  I took a look around the room, and the audience was singing along, with grins on their faces.

Would have loved to have heard "Nemesis", one of my favorites of his, and "Forgetting" off the new album, but unfortunately they were left off the set list for this show.  No worries, experienced ample goodness, and the tone of those two weren't really in keeping with the happy feel of the night.

Such a great show...I watched David Gray experience joy last night, as a musician, as a performer, and as a person.  And we in turn experienced it with him.  I often say that I worry about my favorite serious artists lightening up because I don't think the art would be as good...but now I'm not so sure having seen what I did last night.... Gotta say...He touched me, just the way I like it.  It was definitely good for me.

_____

Set List (not in order, 'cause anyone who was actually taking notes is apparently still in bed)

Only The Wine, We Could Fall in Love Again Tonight, Lately, Gathering Dust, Sail Away, Ain't No Love, Babylon, The One I Love, Flame Turns Blue, Hold On, It Accumulates, Fugitive, Kathleen, Coming Down, Foundling, Holding On, A New Day At Midnight, Davey Jones, From Here you can almost See the Sea, Babylon, This Year's Love, Please Forgive me, Sail Away

My Chemical Romance - December 18, 2010, The Sound Academy, Toronto

I love this band.  I didn't want to... They were loud, and gruff, and hollery at times, are occasionally overly dramatic, and (unfairly?) labelled as emo, and not at all something I was open to a few years ago before I rediscovered in a big way my love of all things music...but they grew on me and became one of my favorites.  The Black Parade is an album I can honestly say I can put on and listen to start to finish anytime, and would be one of my top 10 desert island selections.  And going back to previous albums there is a lot of auditory sweetness to be gained off of "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge".  They are a band that I put on a lot for my commute to and from work on public transportation.... they give me attitude when they are pumping through my head...a "I'm not moving, so you better" face when navigating the hoards of commuters.  Extremely effective and highly enjoyable. So what I'm trying to say, is I'm a real fan of the band, and they've been on my list to see live for a few years now.  I had picked up the new album on release day, and while it went in a bit of a different direction (that is growing on me more with each listen), the experimentation with some different genres is a big success in my mind and I feel a lot of influences in it.  The boys rock.  Plain and simple.  I don't know how to break it down any further than that.

I grabbed tickets to their show at the Sound Academy as soon as I found out about it on presale.  Was a new venue for us....something that makes me a little nervous.  (I'm not good with new.... I like to know what I'm dealing with when heading out to a show and there is a real strategy in our physical placement for the night so we can both see the band, yet not be in the thick of the crowd).  It's a large rectangle of a room, so the fear of being thrown around in a mosh pit was pretty high....lets face it, I'm way beyond an age where being trampled at a live show is something I slough off as "no big deal."  Luckily, however, The Sound Academy offers a VIP section for an extra few shekels, so I ponied up and upgraded our tickets and it was the smartest move I've made concert wise all year.  VIP entitles you to separate entrance (no line waiting), lounge with private bar, private bathrooms (no violins, C., but the thought did make me laugh, as initially thought), and the icing on the cake, separate VIP viewing area that consisted of what resembled a slightly raised wooden porch just to the side of the stage where Jak and I staked out a rail side spot with perfect view and enough elevation for our vertically challenged selves to be able to have a direct eyeline over the heads of the mob.  What was going on over the rail was madness - security was rescuing people who couldn't endure the crushing heat and Anaconda like death squeeze of the mob at an alarming rate.  Suffice it to say, unless I'm feeling suicidal, I will never see a show at Sound Academy if we can't get VIP tickets.  Well worth the extra cash to be able to say that my organs have not been ground into dust by a mob of rabid music fans (aka, the MCRmy) pumped up on the adrenaline of witnessing their favorite band perform and sardined together in a dark cramped space.

...but don't get me wrong....our elevated (purchased) social stature for the evening did NOT make us boring and reserved.  My body aches today from the jumping and fist pumping.  We rocked it...just in a bit more comfort!

The Show:

The Opening band was a local alt rock group called "Dearly Beloved".  Looking at their site (click on name for link) today, I know it's the same band, but the video they have up is not at all representative of what we saw.  They were a little more punked up and frantic last night and their energy was fantastic.  I liked them...the music was amazing...the only complaint I have is that the tunes they did play didn't have a lot of vocals, and I wanted to hear more, especially from the female singer.  She was enjoyable.  They knew their audience demographic though....at one point they did a cover of the Sonics (explained that they were a "really, really old band") and asked us if any of us knew who Captain Beefheart was (admitting I did amongst all the blank twentysomething faces would have outed my attempt at camouflaging my advanced age by my choice of outfit of graphic T, skinny jeans and Converse All-Stars.  It's times like these that Jak and I at times feel out of place at live shows, since "really, really old" is all relative to what your age actually is).  Anyway, the band felt more of a modern punk flavor than alt-rock to me.  Liked them.

After a brief intermission, MCR hit the stage full tilt with their new single Na Na Na and the audience went apeshit.  When Gerard screamed the lyric "Shut up and let me see your jazz hands"....the entire crowd put them in the air and waived them obediently.  Great starter, high energy and sounded fantastic live.  Followed up with an even higher energy Thank You For the Venom, that set up and kept the rock show vibe going for their almost hour and a half set.  There was a great mix of favorites from their last 3 albums and you could tell the entire crowd were die hard fans as it was a giant fist pumping sing-a-long for the entire show.

Having never seen MCR live, and only having viewed performance video, I expected it to be a bit more flawed, but am happy to report that while in raw form, it was still sensational.  Props to the boys' talent and being able to deliver in person.  Youtube didn't do them justice.  (and reviewing video already posted today from last night's show, can further vouch for that...you had to be there to appreciate).  They put on a great show, that was also great visually.  The venue was minimalist...they had very little as far as set (couple flags put up in the back), but the band itself was all we needed to look at - Gerard worked us up headbanging his new electric red locks while vocally blowing us away, Frank oozed cool on guitar, Mikey quietly but with presence worked his Bass and Ray blew us away with his blistering guitar slinging.  (He has become my new favorite band member...the man can PLAY!).

I can't quite bring myself to choose a favorite tune of the night.  If I had to pick, it would probably be a 4-way tie between their Dylan cover of Desolation Row, their blistering rendition of Thank You For the Venom, their inspirational new tune SING, and their closing of the show with the heartbreakingly beautiful Cancer.  Every song was kick ass (and as evidence from my aching calves today due to jumping in unison with the crowd), infused my being and took me over.  It was a sweaty, loud, in your face, raw, possess your mind and take over your body hard rock extravaganza.  I only wish they played for longer, but that was my vantage point from my "safer" spot on the VIP porch.  Perhaps my floor counterparts were rocked and beaten and bruised enough for one evening....but I would say that even they, as beaten up as they were, would have gladly accepted more abuse in return for the opportunity to worship the band further.

Great show, and great ending to the 2010 concert season.  Last week, I was on the fence about getting tickets to their gig in April of 2011 at the Kool Haus when they return to Toronto.  I'm thinking now that it will be a necessity.

Set List:

1.Look Alive, Sunshine (intro)

2.Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)
3.Thank You For The Venom
4.Planetary (GO!)
5.I'm Not Okay (I Promise)
6.SING
7.House Of Wolves
8.Desolation Row (Bob Dylan cover for the Watchmen soundtrack)
9.Mama
10.The Kids From Yesterday
11.Teenagers
12.The Only Hope For Me Is You
13.Helena
14.The Ghost Of You
15.Famous Last Words
16.Cancer

Encore:
17.Vampire Money

Jory Nash w Jason Fowler - Hugh's Room, Toronto, October 29, 2010

Heading out to this show, a co-worker asked who Jakki and I were going to see THIS time.  When we told him, we got an interesting response...."You're just making people up now, aren't you!"



Nope! 

Jory Nash is real.  Real in the best possible sense actually.  He tours extensively across Canada, to smaller more intimate type venues and plays a lot of festivals.  He is regularly featured on CBC radio.  He writes, he sings, he plays a variety of instruments and has a folksy, bluesy, soulful type vibe.  He has released 6 albums since 1998.  He is a homegrown talent, that appears to be in it to make music as an expression of who he is, and shares it with his loyal following because he wants to, and not to cash in.  He was greeting people at the door of Hugh's room pre-show when we arrived like a real, everyday guy who just happened to be hosting a party.  Real is good.  Really, really good.



Jory, Me (post show)

 Have been waiting to see him live for a while now, ever since he was recommended to me, and I subsequently checked him out, loved him, and acquired a few of his CDs off of the Maple Music site. ( http://www.maplemusic.com/dept.asp?dept_id=2561)   (I don't listen to any radio, so he never would have popped up on my radar without the recommend, so it was a happy discovery).  Hugh's Room was also a venue I'd been wanting to check out - it's kind of a cool place.  Small, intimate, with tables set up in the front room so you can dine pre-show and then keep your "spot" for the performance, and a back bar room where you can hang out and watch if you don't have a reserved table.  Only problem was, in order to claim our reserved table, we had to arrive at 6pm... more than ample time for Jakki and I to consume far too many adult beverages before the show even got going.  Hmmmm.

When the show started, we settled in to the mellow, laid back atmosphere.  Jory, along with Jason Fowler, hit the stage and did what they do....launched into some soul grabbing tunes and entertained us to the hilt.  Jason Fowler I didn't know going in.  Also a singer songwriter, he is best known as an accomplished session guitarist and producer.  He was great and did some solo stuff, but it was Jory's tunes I was there to drink in live, so going to focus on him here.

When I listen to Jory, it's like sitting down with a trusted confidante, over a beer(s), and trading broken heart stories where you know the other person knows EXACTLY where you are coming from.  And song after song, you keep sharing together in a bubble of understanding until the bar closes and they boot you out (and you make your way home with his stuff on your ipod, or in keeping with my analogy, continue to talk about it on the "all night rocket" trip home).  THAT is how I feel when I listen to him, and really, who doesn't want to have a conversation with someone who "gets" you to that extent?

His stuff has a brutal honesty to it.  I like that.  And he embraces the truth that is in sadness without being dark about it.  As so eloquently put in my two favorite liner note descriptive blurbs for two of my favorite songs: Oh Baby Call ("We can be such liars when it comes to love") and Careful How you Break My Heart ("Sad is the new Happy"):  You can connect with the honesty in the pain expressed, but there is no wallowing in it.  It is what it is, but life goes on. 

And in the midst of all that soul deepness, there are some high energy songs of the folk variety, some fantastic covers...and he's funny too.  He had the audience howling with his retelling of his experience trying to get his coffee at McDonald's, while being environmentally friendly and requesting they fill his reusable mug rather than the provided styrofoam.  ("Sir, we can't accommodate reusable mugs).  I could not do the story justice by retelling in full, but suffice it to say, anytime you hit a McDonald's, please insist on using your own mug...I will for sure going forward!  Trust me....it's a matter of principle now.

Jakki and I are in agreement that our favorite tunes of the night were when he took to the piano.  Day of show, I usually listen to who we are going to see and decide on a particular song I want to hear.  When he started talking about his insomnia, I knew he was about to play my pick.... "The Nighthawk"...pure goodness.  Thanks Jory, for playing "my song". 

This particular show blog almost didn't happen because there was just so much going on that night, that I was a little distracted.  Under normal circumstances, we go, we chat, we have a few drinks, but when the music starts in, we are essentially solo and paying strict attention to what is happening on stage.  For this show, we went, we chatted, we ate, we drank, we made friends with the tables on either side of us (and in booze fueled friendliness, offered to erect fences at Mariposa this summer to the family sitting beside us who volunteer every year, and wrote down names of artists for the table on the other side that they "need to check out"...wonder if they did?!).    In addition, a friend I've been in touch with frequently, but whom I haven't laid eyes on in 20 years showed up.  Chatted with him for a bit at the bar before heading back to my seat (and pretty sure I shushed him a couple of times when a song I loved came up, but being a fellow music lover and the person who had brought Jory to my attention in the first place, he happily complied).  Was torn between really wanting to chat and catch up, having left my most excellent date Jakki back at the table, and of course, the reason I was there, which was to enjoy the show.  So needless to say the evening was a little disjointed. 

But all in all, was fantastic.  Have discovered that my musical preference, consisting of a very wide range of genres, has that one common characteristic for the most part...empathy.  If I can connect emotionally with what the music is saying, whether it be mournful ballad or mindblowingly heavy rock, I'm in.  I thank Jory Nash for sharing....  will be watching for his next appearance in T.O., where he and I can have another deep soulful conversation through his music. 

Jory's Website

Jory's myspace

Jimmy Eat World - October 17, 2010, Kool Haus, Toronto

Okay...so I knew who these guys were when they were recommended to me by my blog inspiring music buddy....or at least I thought I did.  And you know them too...(or at least you think you do...) If you don't know the song "The Middle", you've clearly just woken up from a coma.  Since it's release in 2001 I believe I've heard it on approximately 80% of movie trailers I've ever seen in the past 9 years.  (OK...that might be a wee bit of an exaggeration, but seems it's used a whole lot.)  That one, as well as some of their more popular radio friendly tunes was what my perception of the band was before I was given all studio albums, as well as more demo, live and unreleased material by the band than you can shake a stick at, and dove into it.  And what I discovered, was that the band almost has a split personality....they have their radio friendly stuff, which is good (usually a couple off each album...fun, upbeat...power poppy)...and then there is the stuff that I really, really, REALLY dig.  Little edgier, but still melodic, with great musical composition and stellar use of harmonies you don't normally find in a rock band these days.  When it was announced they were coming through Toronto to the Kool Haus (a venue I'm sort of really not a fan of, by the way), I bought tickets.  I really wanted to give them the "live" test.  Figured I'd hit the show by myself if I couldn't find someone to drag along with me (and turns out Jakki, my concert buddy, was up for it after many hilarious renditions of "what are they called again?") 

Off to the Kool Haus we went....on a Sunday night!  Pure wildness!  Once we got past security (a story in itself) and into the venue, we managed to find a sweet spot along the side by the bar where we were not (a) in the midst of the mosh pit and (b) able to see the stage regardless of our vertical challengedness.  Life was good!

From the second they hit the stage, until they threw pics and drumsticks into the audience and said goodnight, I was in....and so were they.  When listening to some of the live recorded stuff prior to the show, I was a bit apprehensive, because it was all a little raw....  But man, raw is good, when you are in the thick of it.  It was loud and unpolished and the vocals were flawed...but it was real, and so what I was looking for.  YES!  The boys ripped it up and gave us a rock show and this is what live music is supposed to be. 

There was a good mix from all of their albums, and the fave tune of the night was a tie....Futures, a song I never really had any particular attachment to, performed live, was amazing and has become a new favorite, and when they slowed it down for Hear You Me, I felt a real emotional connection.   But the live performance of 23 was epic.  This is a tune meant to be heard live.


Would have liked to have heard a few more of my favorites off the new album (Cut, and Littlething), but have a new appreciation for the tunes they did play from it:  their first single, "My Best Theory", that I was not overly fussy for was meant to be heard live and a little rougher around the edges, and Movielike, a tune I immediately enjoyed, was first rate.

You'll note the absence of (decent) photos...Kool Haus is a venue that doesn't allow cameras at all so people were getting by with their cell phones for any captures.  I really like that the band has been pretty vocal to the venues about allowing the fans to snap and record, and at one point, Jim even jumped into the audience to get a photo taken with a fan.  The band in turn takes photos of their audience for each show (Toronto's is attached here in this Link).  They don't take themselves too seriously and understand that any media that is captured by the fans is good promotion for them.  In this day and age in the music business, fan appreciation is key.

This year, I've seen a number of really big stadium shows, and a number of really intimate ones as well, but this was probably one of my favorites as it was just a stripped down, warehouse, play the music in it's rawest form jamfests.  Fantastic show by the boys and my fan status has been permanently cemented. 
Set List:

Bleed American
Your New Aesthetic
A Praise Chorus
My Best Theory
Lucky Denver Mint
Let It Happen
For Me This Is Heaven
Futures
Big Casino
Action Needs an Audience
Dizzy
Coffee and Cigarettes
Movielike
Hear You Me
Evidence
Work
The Authority Song
Pain
Blister
Goodbye Sky Harbor

Encore:

23
Get It Faster
The Middle
Sweetness

23, first song of the encore.  Can you hear me singing?  :-)