Archive for the ‘Concert Reviews’ Category
Dan Deacon @ The Great Hall
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Way back in May I had barely even heard of Dan Deacon before. It was that same month that a friend of mine went to a Dan Deacon concert at the DeLeon White Gallery in Toronto. She would not stop raving about how Dan got the whole crowd dancing, a feat I find very impressive. Curious, I went on Dan Deacon musical exploration adventure and was shocked that I hadn’t listened to him before. Not only was his music upbeat and fun, but he really did know how to make a crow move! From that moment on I swore that the next time he came to perform in Toronto I’d be there ready to party.
This guy is kinda the coolest. And his show last night was kinda the best.
Proudly from Baltimore Maryland, Dan Deacon has been creating electronic danc-ey splendor since the early 2000s. His first full length album Spiderman of the Rings came out in 2007 and quickly sparked a buzz, making many a top album of ‘07 list. Deacon has been churning out the goods since, the most recent being his latest album Bromst, which came out March of this year.
Dan is known for his inclusive shows. He sets up his gear on the floor with the audience, so he’s right there with you – not up on some stage. He’s all about audience participation and crowd games. He’s like a musical motivational speaker if you will (just not cheesy in a bad way). These are the things in life I love. Needless to say I was counting down the days to last night’s show and WOW it did not disappoint. WOW WOW WOW! Best show of 2009. Wanna know why?
Photos and more after the jump!
Continue Reading »
Tags: Child Bite, Dan Deacon, DD/MM/YYYY, Nuclear Power Pants, Violent Femmes
Posted in Blog, Concert Reviews | 1 Comment »
Jay-Z @ ACC on Hovaween!
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
I don’t know how many emcees could hold down the Air Canada Centre like Jiggaman, but then again, no other emcee can boast more number one albums than Elvis, can they?
Nope.
Combine endless swag, the Roc Boys band (possibly one of the best touring bands in the biz), a beat-thirsty Halloween crowd and a near endless supply of hits and son… you’ve got yourself a SHAAOOW.
More, plus photos after the jump!
Continue Reading »
Tags: acc, concert reviews, concerts, gallery, jay-z, photos
Posted in Concert Reviews, Featured | 4 Comments »
Jay-Z Takes London (Ontario)
Friday, October 30th, 2009
Midterm time is a busy period for students. There are a lot of sleepless nights, a great deal of stress and headaches, and a nice pile of dishes in the sink that you know you’ll get to tomorrow. Professors place due dates one after the other, and as much as you keep telling yourself that you’ll work ahead, cram sessions are pretty much guaranteed.
The solution?
Go see Jay-Z live. Duh.
Continue Reading »
Tags: concert reviews, jay-z, reviews
Posted in Concert Reviews | 3 Comments »
La Roux Shine @ Guvernment
Monday, October 26th, 2009
It was a dark and dismal night this past Friday - the kind where once you’re home you’re done. I only had eyes for my bed and bad TV but despite the comfort looming in front of me, I donned my wellies, busted out my brelly and made the trek down to Toronto’s dismal waterfront. After battling with rain that was magically coming down sideways (how does that happen anyway?) me and about 600 other daring souls had made it to the La Roux show.
Continue Reading »
Tags: concert reviews, La Roux
Posted in Concert Reviews | 1 Comment »
Metric @ Massey Hall
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
The last two days were ripe with firsts: I enjoyed my first pumpkin beverage of the season, Kanye suffered his first death hoax, Metric played two sold-out shows at Massey Hall in Toronto for the first time, and I went to both of ‘em - marking the first time I’ve seen back-to-back concerts. Hooray!
The significance of Massey Hall lies in its storied history - as one of Toronto’s oldest venues, its stage has seen the likes of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, the Dalai Lama and Winston Churchill. Metric wasn’t shy in expressing their excitement about playing on that historic stage, gushing that it had long been a dream. However, the problem with Massey Hall - a seated venue - is that you can’t really DANCE. And isn’t that the point of a Metric show, to have a sweaty dance party? (Yes.)
Continue Reading »
Tags: concert reviews, concerts, metric, reviews
Posted in Concert Reviews | 3 Comments »
Dan Mangan @ Criminal Records
Monday, October 19th, 2009
With the c-c-c-crazy amount of music floating around in the world/on the internet today (and the amount of it I listen to), you’d expect there would be a lot of good stuff out there. And there is. But rarely do I find a song so darn good that I don’t even need to put it on my mp3 player – because it gets itself stuck in my head for five hours straight.
This is surprising enough, but I really didn’t expect that it wouldn’t be a track from a NME buzz band, and instead come from a brave young indie-folk singer from Vancouver, Mr. Dan Mangan. Haven’t heard of him? Just you wait.
Continue Reading »
Tags: concert reviews, dan mangan
Posted in Concert Reviews | No Comments »
The Most Serene Republic @ The MOD Club
Friday, October 16th, 2009
I have been in love with The Most Serene Republic ever since I first heard their album “… And The Ever Expanding Universe” back in the beginning of the summer. Before that I was really in like with them and too scared to tell them my true feelings. After last night’s show, I think I’m going to purpose.
Tags: Arts&Crafts, Grand Archives, the most serene republic
Posted in Blog, Concert Reviews | 3 Comments »
The Gaslight Anthem @ Kool Haus
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
The last time The Gaslight Anthem played Toronto, they had a decent size fan base but seeing how crowded the Kool Haus was on Tuesday night it’s safe to say these guys are getting bigger as the months pass.
As the lights dimmed and oddly enough Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want To Have Fun playing in the background, the New Jersey quartet emerged on stage to a thunderous crowd.
With no intro needed, the guys picked up their instruments, looked at each other and just started rocking out. Opening the set with High Lonesome followed by Casanova, Baby! it was clear that Tuesday night was going to be a good night for a rock ‘n roll show.
Tags: concert reviews, kool haus, the gaslight anthem
Posted in Concert Reviews | 1 Comment »
Said The Whale: Fancy-Free Show
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
Sometimes concerts are kinda like mystery comic books!
No, seriously. I’ll show you.
Let me set the scene for you. The date: Friday night. The city is dark, and it was probably gloomy, too. The scene: Yonge Street. The bucket-drummer dude is camping at his usual spot on the corner, probably up to some un-nameable trickery. Meanwhile! Two-dozen eager concert goers (and me) are hovering like mysterious indie-fog in front of the Edge radio studio, waiting for the doors to open. Inside, Vancouver’s Said the Whale are tuning their instruments in an openly suspicious manner. Something was definitely about to go down.
Continue Reading »
Tags: concert reviews, concerts, said the whale
Posted in Concert Reviews | 1 Comment »
Mika @ The Sound Academy
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Beginning a tour can be nerve-racking. Beginning a tour with a brand new album can cause even more anxious jitters. Last night Mika kicked off his North American tour in Toronto having just recently released his new album The Boy Who Knew Too Much and he didn’t seem to have even one butterfly in his stomach. Why should he? His show is nothing short of a spectacular performance.
Opening with a theatrical tableau of sorts, two lads and two lasses sat watching TV and socializing on a couch. Just then, who should appear on the TV screen but Ian McKellen (I’m 90% sure it was him) playing a newscaster! He greeted the audience telling them of a space launch, but suddenly - Oh no! Malfunctions! Explosions! But wait – who’s that? It’s Mika in a space suit! Surrounded by a bunch of giant bubble planets that decorate the entire stage! Next thing you know he’s out of his space suit and cheering in his boxers (I kid you not)!
And thus began the show.
Tags: concert reviews, concerts, Ian McKellen, Mika
Posted in Concert Reviews | 2 Comments »
Featured
-
Jay-Z @ ACC on Hovaween!
Peep some pics from Jay-Z’s concert in Toronto!
READ MORE + -
Win Three Days Grace Tickets
We’re giving away 50 pairs of tickets for ten dates!
READ MORE + Categories
-
Pages
