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!

Patrick Watson Live

I had a nice little surprise this morning when I check Twitter. NPR Music decided to post a video of Patrick Watson's live show in its entirety on their YouTube channel. If you haven't had the opportunity to see this man and his band in action, then you must watch this video. It's so worth it!

This show took place this past September in Washington, D.C. Watching this video definitely reminds me of what it feels like to be at his shows. It's an experience that heightens all of your senses. It almost feels like falling in love... overwhelming and a bit scary, yet absolutely sublime and beautiful.

If you still haven't gotten your hands on Watson's latest album "Adventures in Your Own Backyard", do it now. The album is absolutely phenomenal! You will not be disappointed.

Thank you NPR! Enjoy everyone! Also, be sure to catch Watson live next time he's in a town near you!

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.

Folkfest: Day 4

On fourth day of this year's Folkfest, the line-up was just as exciting as the first day. The day was just as cold as day 3, but not as wet.

We headed to Hogs' Back Park around 6pm to check out Said the Whale. I was excited to check out the band again, after seeing them open for Tokyo Police Club two years back.

I walked around the festival grounds for about an hour, waiting for my next scheduled show.

I had been waiting anxiously to see Patrick Watson live at Folkfest. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch him at Osheaga this year. After taking a listening to his first album, "Just Another Ordinary Day", I knew this guy was the real deal.

To say that I was blown away is an understatement. His voice is so stunning and so haunting. His band sounds absolutely phenomenal live. The entire crowd was completely captivated by the performance. The band members on stage seemed to genuinely be having a good time. Although there was a huge crowd, the show felt very intimate. At one point, I looked up at the sky. It was clear and all the stars were visible. At that moment, everything was just beautiful.

Finally, the lovely and adorable Dan Mangan took the main stage. Although Patrick Watson was a hard act to follow, Dan Mangan did a great job and put on a great show. The highlight of his show was when he performed the song "Robots". He grabbed a tambourine, left the stage and went into the crowd. He grabbed a few fans who were sporting robot heads and brought them on stage while the rest of us were singing "Robots need love too. They want to be loved by you". Check out a video of some of the action:

All in all, a fantastic line-up and a great evening at Folkfest.

***

On the last day of Folkfest, Bon Iver and Hey Rosetta! were playing. I decided to give my ticket to a friend of mine, as I felt I needed a break. Also, staying at home in the warmth was kinda nice.