Top 10 Shows of 2013

2013 was quite a busy year, but an awesome one as well. I saw lots of shows and had a lot of fun. However, it wasn't exactly an easy year. There were many big changes that I needed to adjust to, such as a new job, the death of a friend and the birth of my nephew. Despite this, I made it my mission to take advantage of life, and do what makes me happy.

Thus, just like every other blog, I've compiled a list of my most memorable shows of the year. Here are my top 10 shows of 2013:

10) Nine Inch Nails @ Bell Centre
This show makes my top 10 because I didn't think I would ever have the opportunity to see NIN again. The tour was in support of the group's latest album "Hesitation Marks". The album is really good, although some die-hard NIN fans are not too thrilled about it. The show included a lot of new material, which many fans did not like. However, the show was impressive both visually and sonically. Although I really enjoyed the show, it was nowhere near as good as the first time I saw NIN play in Ottawa in support of "Year Zero" (at least I think it was around that time).

9) Plants and Animals @ Ritual
Although I had seen the group a few times, I was particularly excited about this show, which was in support of their third album "The End of That". In addition, I had only seen the band play outdoor venues so this was quite different. The show was great and the venue was packed. There was really great energy in the room. I also really enjoyed the setlist, which features a great mix of new and older material. To top it all off, I had the opportunity to interview drummer Matthew Woodley before the show for Couch Assassin. This was a great opportunity for me, so I was over the moon! In case you missed it, check out my interview here.

8) Ben Caplan @ Mavericks
If you haven't heard of Ben Caplan yet, then you are missing out! I had heard great things about this musician from Halifax, and unfortunately I wasn't able to make it to his show at Raw Sugar Cafe last year. So when he came back to Ottawa to play Mavericks in February, I didn't want to miss my opportunity. Caplan isn't just a great songwriter, he is an all-out entertainer! His voice is out of this world (and so is his beard)! Caplan is also quite charming and loves to interact with the audience. Take my word for it: You will never forget a Ben Caplan show!

7) Heathers @ Cafe Dekcuf
I decided to go check out Heathers' live show because of the poster. Yep. I saw the poster, and thought to myself: I'd probably like that. And did I ever! Their music is catchy... I was hooked after the first song! These Irish twins are impressive musicians, singers and lyricists. Not only are they beautiful and talented, they are so nice! Next time they play a show near you, don't miss them!

6) Rush @ Ottawa Bluesfest
The show at this year's Bluesfest that I was most exciting about seeing was Rush. And they did not disappoint! The sound, the lights, the visuals... Everything was big and over the top! They did play mostly material from their latest record "Clockwork Angels". I wasn't familiar with the group's new material but it was a great introduction. To me, Rush is the ultimate musical representation of Canadiana, so seeing them live was great! Also, I've loved them ever since I started watching Trailer Park Boys (haha). The only con to the overall experience was the really, REALLY drunk middle-aged men in attendance that were loud, rowdy and annoying.

5) Feist @ Arts & Craft Field Trip
My summer began on a high note with the Arts & Craft Field Trip concert in Toronto. Although there were tons of artists/groups that I was excited to check out, the one that stood out the most for me was Feist. I've been a fan of hers for years, but I had never seen her perform live solo. I did see her perform with Broken Social Scene a long, long time ago but that didn't really count for me. There were thousands of people in attendance, and I could barely see the stage. Still, Feist took over the stage and put on quite a show! The energy was fantastic, and the setlist was great, including a good mix of songs from all of her albums (all of which are superb). I really enjoyed how every song was altered and sounded completely different than the original. Although there were so many people around, I felt like I was in my own little world and that Feist was performing just for me. Unforgettable!

4) Avett Brothers @ Ottawa Folkest
There was a few artists that I wanted to check out at Folkfest, although the lineup wasn't stellar, in my opinion. A friend of mine asked me to check out the Avett Brothers. I had never heard of the group but I rarely decline an invitation to go check out a band, especially one that I don't know. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised! First, I assumed that the Avett Brothers were a rock group from the '60s or '70s. That couldn't be farther from the truth. These young, bearded Southern rockers blend many musical genres, including country, bluegrass, folk and rock. I have never in my life seen a live show with so much energy. It was surreal! You could tell that everyone in attendance was having a blast. The only downside to an amazing like show like this: listening to the Avett Brothers on CD is not nearly as good. I can safely say that I am now a fan of the Avett Brothers.

3) Megadeth @ Heavy MTL
In August, I went to the Heavy MTL festival for the very first time. I was quite excited to check out all of the bands that were on the bill. The biggest surprise of the festival was the band that I had been avoiding for years: Megadeth. My partner has been listening to Megadeth since we've started dating, and since then, I've flat out refused to give them a chance... mostly because I'm not a fan of frontman Dave Mustaine. While at Heavy MTL, I decided to finally shut up and give them a chance. Wow! I never expected to actually enjoy their show... but I did! The energy at this show was insane, and seeing all the hardcore fans of all ages sing all of the words to all of the songs was really touching. I never in a million years imagined that I would enjoy this show. Since then, I can now say that I like listening to Megadeth and would love to see them live again.

2) Alt-J @ Osheaga
This past summer, I headed to Montreal to catch the first day of Osheaga. There were many shows that I was excited to check out, but none more than Alt-J. I had been obsessing over their album "An Awesome Wave" for months, and I couldn't wait to see them live. They did not disappoint! Although they only played for 45 minutes, the show was great. The band sounded great, and had lots of energy on stage. I was standing really close to the front of the stage, which was fun being in the mist of the crowd. The highlight of the show was definitely when they played "Blood Flood", my favourite song of the album.

1) Woodkid @ Metropolis
Hands down, the best show I went to in 2013. Seriously. It's hard to describe the experience of that show... On July 1st, the Metropolis was sold out. Woodkid played a show as part of the Montreal Jazz Festival. I've seen many shows at this venue, including metal shows, and no show ever came close to the intensity of this show. The Metropolis was literally shaking. At times, I was legitimately scared that the venue would collapse. The crowd was so intense... which is a bit odd, considering the type of majestic, epic sound of Woodkid. However, that evening was just that... epic! His album "The Golden Age" had officially been released earlier that year, and it is absolutely sublime. Yoann Lemoine was joined on stage by various musicians, including a brass ensemble and two drummers. In the background, a giant screen showed videos and images during the performance. This added an amazing visual element to the performance, and definitely made it more grandiose. There was lots of talk surrounding this show, and with good reason. You gotta experience it to believe it! Woodkid's performance exceeded all of my expectations and that show is definitely my top show of the year.

 

September in a Nutshell

Can't believe that September is already over! I've been insanely busy this month at work, and in my personal life. Despite the craziness, I still managed to have fun and see some great shows... I was just too busy to sit down and blog about it!

So here's the month of September in a Nutshell:

• At the beginning of the month, I went to the Ottawa Folk Festival to cover some shows for Sors-tu. I saw some good shows and discovered some great bands, including the Avett Brothers and Matt Andersen. Truth to told, I was disappointed that Neil Young cancelled and I would not have gone to this year's festival if I wasn't on assignment.

• For the first time, I checked out a show at Raw Sugar Café. Although I'd been to Raw Sugar many times, I had never seen a live show there. When I heard that Eamon McGrath was playing there, I was really excited. I saw McGrath play two years ago at Zaphod's and I really enjoyed the show. This time around, McGrath played a lot of new material. The setting was quite intimate, and it was so enjoyable to see McGrath rocking out in the middle of the living room type space at Raw Sugar. Overall, it was a great show and I was lucky enough to meet a lot of people and even chat with McGrath afterwards.

•  After seeing the poster, I decided that I wanted to check out indie group Braids at Ritual Nightclub. Yep, I often look at posters and I can just tell whether or not I would like an artist/group. Also, my girl Elly invited me to check it out with her. I was really impressed with the group, and I enjoyed the show very much. Their sound reminded me of Purity Rings, a group I really enjoy. The group recently released their second album "Flourish // Perish". Go get it now!

•  I participated in festivities in celebration of the 2nd annual Nuit Blanche Ottawa+Gatineau, a "dusk-until-dawn celebration of Contemporary Art and local culture that takes place across multiple venues". This year's theme was SUPERNOVA! Many spaces (both physical and outdoor) hosted events, shows or art installations as part of Nuit Blanche. I loved it! Although it was raining, we had a blast. Starting at 1am, we started our trek in the Byward Market and stopped at the Ottawa School of Art, the SAINT-LAURENT+HILL GALLERY, Upward Dog Yoga studio, Saint Brigid's Centre for the Arts (which is a church!), la Petite Mort Gallery and Saw Gallery. There were some really interesting projects on display. I really enjoyed the video installations at the church. By far my favourite of the evening (or morning). We also got to see a short theater performance taking place in the jail cell in the basement of the Arts Court building. Overall, I really enjoyed seeing people at the different spots, participating in these events. It's obvious to me that people in Ottawa love and support culture in our city! Next year, take a nap in the afternoon and stay up all night so you can be part of Nuit Blanche!

• Last weekend, my friends and I went to check out Greg McEvoy at Avant-Garde Bar for the release of this EP "Sea of Yards". A singer/songwriter based in Toronto, McEvoy is a nice, down to earth guy. I had met him previously and saw him play on the rooftop of JackPine earlier this summer. Since then, I've kept him on my radar. He played an acoustic set that summer afternoon on the rooftop so it was refreshing to see him play with a full band. The show also included performances by Danielle Knibbe, Brittanny Kwasnick and Papermaps. It sounded like entirely new material. The show was really fun, and Avant-Garde was the perfect venue!

• I also played lots of Trailer Park Bingo. I didn't win but it was awesome!

So that sums up my September... At least what I remember of it! Looking back at what I did, it reminds how I truly love this city and what it has to offer.

I wish you all a great October!

Top 5 Shows of 2012

2012 was a great year! I was lucky enough to catch some amazing shows. I hope you did too!

Seeing as 2012 is coming to an end, every music writer in the blogsphere is writing their list of top albums/songs/shows. So I thought that maybe I should do that too!

Just for fun, I've compiled my five favourite shows of 2012. Here's my top 5:

5) Passion Pit. The group released their sophomore album this year and played a couple of festival shows the summer (despite lead singer Michael Angelakos' struggle with his mental illness). Their show at Osheaga was fantastic! It was great, hearing the new material live. Although this wasn't my first time seeing the group in concert, I was beyond excited for this show. And it did not disappoint... 

4) Grizzly Bear. This past September, I was able to see Grizzly Bear play at the famous Radio City Music Hall during my trip to NYC. The show was phenomenal! I didn't have high expectations and I was absolutely floored with the performance. Not only did the band sound great, the visuals definitely added a great element to the performance. So worth it! I was just a casual fan before this show; now, I have great appreciation and respect for this band.

3) Matthew Good. Yes, I am still a huge fan of Matthew Good. Yes, I've seen him live half a dozen times. Still, his last show was fantastic! I had seen him play at the NAC in October of 2011 and I was thrilled when he announced he would be playing an acoustic show at Ottawa Folkfest this past August. Only a few days after getting some of his lyrics tattooed on me, he performed a great show with an impressive setlist. Lots of crying ensued.

2) Patrick Watson. In 2012, I (finally) discovered Patrick Watson. Within a six-week period, I was able to see him live twice, once at the Ottawa Folkfest, once at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. I cannot even describe what his music means to me and how happy I am to have discovered his beautiful words. This man knows how to bare his soul in his music, it's so amazing to experience it. Also, it definitely helps that Mr. Watson is down to earth and a total goofball. It's hard not to love this guy!

1) Radiohead. This is by far the most epic show I've seen in 2012. Back in June, I was lucky enough to score tickets to see Radiohead in Montreal. Never in a million years did I ever think I would have the opportunity to catch this group in concert. And although I was only introduced to Radiohead in the last couple of years, I knew I could not miss this show. The setlist was phenomenal and included songs that I absolutely adore, including "Street Spirit", "Idiotheque", "How to Disappear Completely", "Everything in Its Right Place", "All I Need" and "Reckoner". The group had lots of energy and Thom Yorke was dancing up a storm on the stage. The sound completely invaded the Bell Centre and I was taken to a whole other place. For all these reasons, this show totally deserves my #1 spot, hands down.

What shows did you see in 2012? Which ones would make your top 5?

Let's hope that 2013 has a lot more amazing shows in store!

Inspired / Getting Inked

One of my favourite artists is Matthew Good. His music speaks to me in so many ways and I have a lot of respect for him as an artist, a musician, an activist and a human being.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

The album "Avalanche" is one of my favourite albums of all time. Matthew Good's tour for this album was the first show that I saw after moving to Ottawa. Safe to say, it was quite a memorable show for me.

Last October, I went to see Matthew Good live, when he was touring for his new album, "Lights of Endangered Species". I believe this was my fifth or sixth time seeing a Matthew Good show.

The shows begins. It is pitch black; there are no lights. The piano begins...

"Buy in it'll shut you up. Try it, it should shut you up..." 

He is playing "While We Were Hunting Rabbits". Instantely I start crying. I cannot believe this is happening.

"While We Were Hunting Rabbits" has been my favourite Matthew Good song since 2003. It's a beautiful song that just gets me every time I hear it. Never in a million years did I ever think I would get to hear this amazing song live. In addition, the piano version of this song was so raw and so beautiful. I was in heaven. Tears of happiness kept falling down my cheeks.

After that, I just knew. I knew I would get some of the song lyrics tattooed on me.

I approached my tattoo artist with the idea of the song lyrics and a lighthouse. I love lighthouses, because they remind me of home, and the Maritimes. Since my artist is quite busy, I had a few months to mentally prepare for this tattoo (and save some money).

This past Saturday, I visited my tattoo artist at her shop outside of Ottawa. Exactly as I was laying down so she could get started, Matthew Good Band starts playing on the speakers. This was a sign. I was meant to do this.

My tattoo, still in the healing process.
Done by Edith Fluet from Blue Blood Custom Tattoos

After five long and painful hours, my tattoo was done. I couldn't be happier with the end result.

***

Sometimes, it's easy to get lost and stray from our path. But if we look hard enough, there is always something or someone around that will lead us back to where we're supposed to go. That's what the lighthouse represents to me. Sometimes, I may feel like a ship lost at sea, but I always manage to find my way back.

This tattoo is a tribute to the amazing people in my life who have supported me and kept me on track. This tattoo is an hommage to Matthew Good, whose words have always left me inspired.

***

In a few days, Matthew Good will be playing an acoustic set at the Ottawa Folk Festival. I am really looking forward to the show. Stay tuned!