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.

 

Julie Goes to Heavy MTL

*This blog post is way overdue. I've been busy with work since I came back, and I've been finding it difficult to bounce back and get back to my blogging routine.*

Two weeks ago, I headed to Montreal for the Heavy MTL festival. My partner has been attending the festival for a few years, but for some reason, it never occurred to me to join him. This year, I decided I wanted to try it out. Although I'd been to quite a few metal shows, I wasn't sure what to expect. I also got some media passes for two of the three days of the festival, which was exciting for me.

On Friday, we headed out early to go to the Metropolis for the Summer Slaughter tour. This event was the kick-off of the festival. The shows began at 3pm and there were 10 bands on the bill. Kudos to evenko for putting on such a well-organized event.

Most of these bands were more hardcore than what I usually listen to. The bands that really stood out for me are Revocation, the Ocean, and Animals as Leaders.

The headliner Dillinger Escape Plan was a bit disappointing, especially compared to the amazing performances of some of the other bands. Their performance was alright, but it just didn't measure up. Also, all of the elements of their show did not work well together. The crazy strobe lights were just too much and they were so distracting during the whole show. It really took away from the performance instead of adding to it. Sometimes a little goes a long way...

Check out my French review of the show for Sors-tu here.

***

Saturday was a pretty chill day for me. I wasn't writing about any of the shows that day, so we didn't rush to get to Parc Jean-Drapeau. By the time we got there, Device was already playing. We listened to one song and decided it wasn't any good, so we just walked around for a bit.

Later we checked out Hellyeah, a band comprised of half of Muvayne and half of Damage Plan, including of Chad Gray, Mudvayne singer and Vinnie Paul, drummer of Damage Plan and Pantera and the brother of the late Dimebag Darrell. My partner called the style "Hillbilly Metal" and I told him I would probably enjoy that. Turns out, the only reason he used the term "Hillbilly Metal" is because the music is about drinking beers, smoking weed and looking at boobs (I am paraphrasing here). No, the music isn't groundbreaking (especially not the lyrics), but the performance was entertaining and I enjoyed it.

We walked over to see Baroness. After two songs, we left because we were not impressed with the band's lackluster performance. The sound was off and sounded very thin, compared to the full sound that we hear on the albums. I was disappointed because I was expecting so much more.

While we were waiting near the front for Black Label Society, we unfortunately had to listen to Steel Panther. That felt like absolute torture. As a woman, I felt offended by everything that came out of these guys' mouths. Yes, I realize that the band is a "joke" band that makes fun of all other hair metal band but regardless... I think the band is an absolute atrocity.

Finally, Zakk Wylde and the boys of Black Label Society came out on stage and we were right up front. The band put on a good performance. I've seen them live a few times and this was far from being their best performance but it was still really fun. They ended their set with "Suicide Messiah", my favourite BLS song. It's always great to see Zakk Wylde and his bandmates perform.

Later, we saw Danzig with Doyle. I knew nothing about this group whatsoever. Turns out that singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig is one of the founding members of the Misfits. He is joined by guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, also from the Misfits. He was very entertaining to watch. Rob Zombie came on stage to sing with Danzig for one of the songs. For the duration of the song, Zombie's mic was not working, which was unfortunate.

Finally, it was time to check out Megadeth. For years, I've purposely avoided listening to Megadeth because I am not a fan of Dave Mustaine. However, seeing as they were playing anyways, why not give them a chance at Heavy MTL? Well, am I ever glad I did! I was blown away... The group put on a great performance. My favourite part of the show was the energy from the crowd. It was contagious... I couldn't help but smile and look around during the show. Die-hard Megadeth fans were everywhere. They knew the words to every songs and were singing them loudly during the show. It was quite special, and it made the experience that much greater.

We didn't stick around for Avenged Sevenfold, who were the big headliner of the evening. Instead, we went out for some beers aux Foufounes Électriques.

***

Sunday, I was officially on assignment for Sors-tu and I had a big lineup of acts to cover so we headed out really early to check out Huntress. I really enjoyed the performance and their sound was inspired by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden). Also, the lead singer was quite entertaining to watch.

Afterwards, it was time for Fintroll. The performance started off with some technical difficulties but that was quickly resolved, and the show progressed smoothly. The band played their blend of folk metal to the enthusiastic crowd. Band members were wearing costumes and makeup, dressing up like trolls (or elves). However, their costumes were definitely not as intense as Gwar. Despite the fact that the lyrics are in Swedish and I couldn't understand anything, I really enjoyed the performance. The crowd was showing them a lot of love. Many fans in the crowd were sporting elf-like ears and costumes, which I thought was great. Their performance was a great segway for the next group.

During the festival, I saw a lot of Amon Amarth t-shirts and had no clue who the band was. I was eager to check them out, seeing as there were tons of fans around. Boy, was I ever surprised! The band members came out on stage looking like Scandinavian gods. The crowd was so intense... The energy was out of this world! The lead singer was polite and quite charming. He won me over right away. By far my favourite discovery of the festival.

Then it was time for Phil Anselmo. He's not as charming as our friend in Amon Amarth... I enjoyed Anselmo's set a lot. The only downfall was that he wouldn't stop talking between songs. This guy is cocky, and he knows it. My partner tells me that this is the brilliant thing about Anselmo: he's full of himself and he doesn't give a shit. Fair enough; I just didn't care much for it. Regardless, people really seemed to enjoy the show (including my partner who was in the middle of the mosh pit during the entirety of the performance).

A while later, I saw Machine Head. I had heard a lot about this band. I was told that Machine Head was one of the loudest band I would see in concert. For some reason, I was expecting something more hardcore than what it actually was. I was pleasantly surprised with the performance and I really enjoyed the group. I hope I get to see them play again.

I was excited to check out Havok. A nice crowd had gathered at the stage, despite the fact that the band was playing at the same time as Mastodon. The band was very energetic and so was the crowd. They played songs like "Scumbag in Disguise", "DOA", "Give Me Liberty… Or Give Me Death" and they ended their set with "Time is Up". Although the set was short, the crowd was happy. One of the best performances of the festival, in my opinion.

After Havok, I rushed back to see the last part of Mastodon's set. I had planned to listen to the last 20 minutes of their set, but I only managed to hear a song and a half. Last time the band played Heavy MTL in 2010, they started their set late. This time, they ended their set early. Also, I was surprised that there wasn't that many people checking out the show. From what I saw, there was nothing extraordinary about their show or their music.
 
We made our way to the front of the stage for Rob Zombie while Godsmack was playing so we watched the show from the giant screens. Honestly, I was shocked at the giant crowd that gathered to catch the show. I was under the impression that Godsmack had not released any new music in a really long time. Regardless, the crowd was really into it. The band played some of their biggest hits, including "Voodoo" and "I Stand Alone". Overall, I wasn't expecting such a good show and I was very impressed with the band's performance and with the crowd as well.

Finally, the person I had been waiting  to see all week-end: Rob Zombie. I am a huge fan of Rob Zombie and I had seen him live twice before and both shows were fantastic. So my expectations were quite high for this show, and I was not disappointed! Although his latest album "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" came out earlier this year, he only played two new songs: "Teenage Nosfaratu Pussy" and "Dead Radio". He also played some White Zombie songs: "Thunder Kiss '65", "More Human Than Human" and "Super-Charger Heaven". This show included everything from lights, flames, fireworks, confetti... You name it! The show ended with "Dragula", one of his most popular songs. Overall, great energy and performance from Zombie and his band members. Watching guitarist John 5 in action is always a treat! If you haven't seen Rob Zombie in concert, do yourself a favour and check him out next time he comes to town.

You can read my official (French) review for the Sunday shows here.

***

Me and G before Phil Anselmo takes the stage

Overall, I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed Heavy MTL. I was expecting some good shows but I had no idea how intense and dedicated the crowd would be. This definitely added to the experience, and made the shows even more enjoyable.

I also really enjoyed meeting some fellow bloggers that I know and follow on Twitter, including Montreal Concerts, the guys from Boulevard Brutal and la Musicographe. We decided to gather at the VIP tent so we could actually meet in person, which was very cool! I respect these bloggers, so it was really nice to finally meet them in person.


Again, I had an absolute blast at Heavy MTL and I regret waiting so long to check it out. See you metalheads next year!