Review: Patrick Watson @ Canadian Museum of Civilization

On Friday, I was thrilled to head over to the Canadian Museum of Civilization to see Patrick Watson live. After experiencing a Patrick Watson show at this year's Folkfest, I jumped at the opportunity to see him live again. I had also never been to a show at the theatre of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, so I was curious to check it out.

Watson had two consecutive shows scheduled at the museum; both sold out. When I found out about this show, there were no tickets left for sale. Lucky for me, I found someone who was selling their tickets and got my hands on a pair, right before I left for NYC. Thank god!

The venue is a little small, but feels very intimate. I believe it sits around 500 people and every seat has a great view of the stage. The husband and I were sitting in the seventh row from the front, about 10 feet from the stage. All in all, an amazing spot to see an amazing show. This was especially nice, since the first time I saw Watson, I could barely see the stage through the huge crowds at Folkfest.

The opening act was Thus:Owls. Having never heard of them before, I was curious to see what these guys were all about. This Swedish/Canadian group definitely got the crowd warmed up. They performed a great set with some upbeat, yet raw music. You couldn't help but be captivated with the lead singer's vocals. Her vocals were haunting, yet beautiful. Her sound reminded me of a mix of Feist and Lykke Li, which is an ideal combo for me! I'm extremely pleased that I was able to discover this group and I will definitely be checking out their music in the near future.

Then Mr. Watson took the stage. The singer/songwriter from Montreal had the crowd captivated from the very first note. His band started with a rendition of "Lighthouse", a very beautiful and haunting song (also, a personal favourite of mine). Other songs that were performed included "A Big Bird in a Small Cage", "Noisy Sunday", "Adventures in Your Own Backyard" and "The Great Escape".

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Watson and his band are incredible musicians and seem to be having a great time on stage, which is captivating and rewarding as an audience member. For 2-3 songs, the whole bands comes together at the front of the stage, share a microphone, and sing "campfire" style. It was honestly beautiful to see.

You can just tell by watching his shows that Watson is a fun, happy guy. He genuinely enjoys performing and you cannot help but fall for this guy. He also seems quite at ease on the stage. He likes to interact with the crowd, sharing stories and anecdotes and get the audience to sing along with him. And at times, he left his piano and mic, approached the front of the stage and just sang to the crowd. His voice sounded like a whisper, and those moments are intimate and beautiful.

Overall, a fantastic performance (as I knew it would be), an intimate venue, and a whole lot of passion and enchantment.

 

Honestly, this guy is worth checking out. If you have not listened to Patrick Watson, grab one of his four albums (or all four) and let yourself go on a journey. I promise you will not be disappointed.