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Concert Review: Chantal Kreviazuk

The setlist at Chantal Kreviazuk’s show Friday night at Centennial Hall made it seem like fans were privy to a unique live performance of soundtracks from popular films of the 90s and early 2000s. When she wooed everyone by playing popular hits like “Time,” this brought back memories of watching MuchMoreMusic before the channel’s re-branding, not to mention climactic melodramatic scenes from Dawson’s Creek.

Her career may have peaked in the 90s, but Kreviazuk’s commentary between songs was definitely timely for a concert in 2012. While introducing “Feels Like Home,” she shared that many couples gush about it being their wedding song, and then emphasized how divorces and multiple marriages have changed how people feel about it. Her anecdotes can be summarized by the themes of remarriage, rowdiness and rock stars’ lifestyles. Evidently an Apple customer, Kreviazuk also spoke about how much she loves FaceTime, especially when either she or her husband, Raine Maida from Our Lady Peace, are touring.

Early on, Kreviazuk made self-deprecating remarks about forgetting lyrics 12 times, joking that she needed a teleprompter, even though such errors weren’t noticeable. What was more frustrating, however, was how Kreviazuk repeatedly faced the orchestra rather than the paying ticketholders. Although she was understandably impressed by the orchestra’s seamless collaboration, it would have been nice to see more of her facial expressions while singing emotionally-driven lyrics, no matter how “honoured” she was to play with them. Apparently she assumed everyone was a major Orchestra London supporter, but the weak applause when she acknowledged them indicated otherwise.

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On The Radar: ’90s Stars Return to TV

The Backstreet Boys are back, making their small screen debut in Old Navy commercials prior to their upcoming reunion tour with Kevin Richardson reuniting with the boy band. An Old Navy staffer has explained that their “target customer grew up in the ’90s, and that time period conjures an emotional connection, so [they’ve] worked with a number of actors and musicians who remind her of that nostalgic decade.” (Source: Bloomberg)

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O1QS4r1JHc’]

In case that doesn’t satisfy your longing to see your favourite stars of the past, Old Navy has followed up with newer commercials featuring Joan Rivers (notably a hilarious woman on Twitter too) and Sex and the City star Mario Cantone. I’d love to meet the Fashion Police co-host, but so far I’ve had to settle for posing with Joan’s wax figure at Madame Tussauds’ Las Vegas location. What’s more, Old Navy has jumped at the opportunity to make interactive YouTube videos, enabling fans to watch different clips of Mario and Joan at faux fashion shows online.

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Behind the Books: Emily Liebert

Name: Emily Liebert

Best Known For: Facebook Fairytales (2010)

Education: B.A. English Language & Literature, Smith College

Current Employment and Projects: Author & TV Personality. Working on second book (first novel) and third book (second novel) set to publish by Penguin in September 2013 and September 2014 respectively. “Type A Mommy” Parenting Expert for GalTime.

Favorite Facebook feature: News Feed—including status updates and photos—I’m a total voyeur.

Professional role model: Jennifer Weiner—brilliant writer with a wicked sense of humor, who speaks her mind on behalf of Women’s Fiction authors (and she live tweets The Bachelor!)

What do you think motivates someone to share a positive story with Facebook? Gratitude

Describe how Facebook has changed your social life in 140 characters or less: It’s a blessing to be able to feel like I’m part of everyone’s lives even though we may not have time to chat on the phone or go to dinner.

How has Facebook helped you professionally? Facebook has been an invaluable asset. I’ve made countless connections which have translated into business achievements. And, through my Facebook fan page, I can share links to articles written about me, articles I write, significant videos, and important news.

Facebook Fairytales begins with an interview with none other than Mark Zuckerberg. How was that arranged?

I was very fortunate in the fact that Facebook agreed to support my book by sharing amazing stories that had been sent in to them by users and by granting me the interview with Mark for the foreword. I could spend a lifetime picking Mark’s brain, but—as you might imagine—he’s a busy guy. So it’s the kind of interview where you need to get in and get out quickly with the information you really need.

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Eat, Read and Discuss: Amor Towles Tweet Up

As I’ve said before, what’s a Toronto visit without an Indigo event? This time my trip home coincided with another Indigo tweet up at the classy downtown French restaurant Biff’s Bistro. I was one of four winners selected to have dinner with the bestselling author Amor Towles, who was in town for the International Festival of Authors.

Amor Towles’ debut novel Rules of Civility (2011) has been well received by critics whose praise matches my impression of him. Rules of Civility‘s 1930s New York setting led the tweet up attendees to discuss history, including commentary about how students learn about previous decades through textbook summaries, often leading us to generalize how people lived in the past.

Grey nails for dinner in Biff’s Grey Room

The tweet up was organized by Indigo’s events team and Penguin Group (Canada), Amor’s publisher. Amor sat in the middle of the table, making it easier for everyone to ask him questions. Amor primarily works in investments in New York, so his stories about writing the manuscript and approving the final content while juggling a full-time job on Wall Street was interesting to hear about.

Although the earlier topics of conversation were directly linked to books, such as Kobos, reviews and book clubs, I enjoyed when the discussion shifted to marketing. It was nice to talk about word of mouth marketing as it relates to publishing and learn about how often the avid readers at the table make decisions based on friends’ recommendations.

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Concert Review: The Barenaked Ladies

Not a million-dollar performance

According to an Orchestra London poster, the Barenaked Ladies’ show at Centennial Hall on Friday night was supposed to be the “hottest ticket in London,” but the famous foursome didn’t entirely live up to such high expectations.

Beginning the show with hits including “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” and “Another Postcard,” the band garnered the most excitement when they played “Big Bang Theory Theme,” which they made for CBS’ sitcom. Other songs performed on Friday included “Pinch Me” and “One Week,” until they closed with “If I Had $1,000,000,” the latter of which featured an excellent violin solo from an orchestra member.

When forty-something lead singer Ed Robertson joked about his old age, this fazed neither the middle-aged couples cozy in the balcony’s plush seats, nor the other patrons enjoying pitchers of beer while sitting around tables in the mezzanine. The band joked about the unusual seating arrangement by announcing “the next number is B9,” as if they were bingo callers.

Among the many jokes cracked throughout was Ed’s suggestion that they pass around a wireless microphone to each member of the orchestra, so they can say what an honour it is to play with the Barenaked Ladies. Albeit a poor testament to the band’s comedic expertise, the crowd seemed amused.

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