Browsing Tag

concerts

Never Say Never

Justin Bieber and Dancers

I never thought I would see Justin Bieber perform live, but never say never!

Though I didn’t immediately recognize opener Hot Chelle Rae, it was fun to see them play their 2011 hit Tonight, Tonight, which instantly became familiar when they closed their set with it.

More than half an hour after Justin’s scheduled stage time at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday, a dramatic ten-minute countdown began. When he emerged from the ceiling wearing oversized wings, the first thing I thought of was Pink’s showstopping trapeze act at the 2009 Grammys. Justin may not have done any acrobatics, but his entrance was more than enough to excite fans.

Justin Bieber Toronto

From there, Justin literally started the show with a bang, as fireworks went off during his first song, All Around the World. Usually stars hold off on fireworks and confetti until the encore, so it was cool that these effects were used early on.

The themes for the graphics, video backdrops and dancers’ costumes ranged from outer space to underwater. Justin changed outfits at least four times and my favourite part was how he rocked fire engine red high top sneakers. (You know how much I love all things red!)

Justin Bieber Toronto

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24 Hours, 3 Bands, 2 Cities

Molson Amphitheatre hosted an amazing concert with the Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox Twenty on Thursday night. The Goo Goo Dolls were up first and played many of their big hits, including Slide and Black Balloon, but the crowd didn’t stand up until they started singing Iris.

Goo Goo Dolls

Although it was disappointing that the two bands were never on stage together, they were both incredible. The Goo Goo Dolls’s music is more rock-heavy, whereas Matchbox Twenty’s set list was more mellow. Going to the nearly sold out concert was the perfect way to satisfy my nostalgia for the 90s and the crowd of 15,000 fans seemed to agree.

Matchbox Twenty

Typically that would’ve been enough live music to keep me happy for a few months, but then I went to another concert Friday night in Montreal. Just in time for Canada Day, Feist opened the Montreal International Jazz Festival.

TD was a prominent sponsor, which made sense considering their large presence seen at the Molson Amphitheatre on Thursday night, where they gave out neon green wristbands printed with a #TDmusic hashtag.

Feist took the stage a few hours after my VIA Rail train arrived, so it was very good timing. (Have I mentioned that taking the train is the best way to travel?) I’m not a huge Feist fan, but I’m always down for a good free concert, not to mention the opportunity to support Canadian musicians.

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4 Reasons I Love Twitter

I’m officially a university graduate now and the day after convocation, the celebration continues: today is my fourth anniversary on Twitter.

That means it’s been four years since I first tweeted “Jewellery is not a toy” after a beaded necklace that I made broke. I still have those grey beads in a ziploc bag. Today, the manager who worked at Toronto’s Bead Cafe is engaged to a family friend. As Twitter reminds us every day, it’s a small world!

To celebrate this exciting occasion, I’ve created a list of 4 reasons I love Twitter:

1. Twitter Contests

Twitter is responsible for helping me win many products and experiences. Contest prizes have included touchscreen gloves from Target Canada, an Aroma gift card, and a Rob Thomas concert DVD. More recently, I won a free hour of bowling from The Ballroom, which I have yet to redeem. The most amazing prize, however, came from MuchMusic, who gave me tickets to see Arcade Fire!

Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire

2. Job Opportunities

To apply for my current marketing role, I submitted links to my social media profiles, not a resume. And like the characters of The Internship, they hired me following an interview on Google+ Hangouts. Social media is a crucial part of the hiring process now and I’m curious to see how the relationship between social media and HR continues evolving. Twitter helps you showcase your industry knowledge and personality, so share your commentary and keep it clean!

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98 Degrees is Back!

 

Image Source: MTV
Image Source: MTV

Millennials, rejoice: brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, as well as Justin Jeffre and Jeff Timmons from 98 Degrees are making a comeback!

During their spring/summer tour, the boy band will be joined by New Kids on the Block and Boys II Men. With 12 musicians scheduled to perform, they’ve named the tour The Package, and what a good choice! Looks like it’s time to create another 90s playlist and play it on repeat.

According to Ticketmaster, seats are selling fast for the following Canadian tour dates:

June 4 – Ottawa: Scotiabank Place

June 6 – Montreal: Bell Centre

June 7 – Toronto: Air Canada Centre

July 10 – Vancouver: Rogers Arena

July 28 – Toronto: Air Canada Centre

If you live in Toronto and can’t get tickets to see them at the ACC, perhaps you should make a road trip to Buffalo! They’re playing at the First Niagara Center on August 2, conveniently on a Friday night – perfect for a fun-filled weekend of live music and shopping.

98 Degrees’ first album in over a decade will be released on May 7 – get excited for 2.0!

In the meantime, let’s go back to 2000:

OHM Fashion Show

The annual OHM Fashion Show on Friday raised money for the Canadian Cancer Society and focused on street style this year.

The show’s passionate executive team created a sophisticated atmosphere, which made Centennial Hall look much nicer than the bingo hall it resembled when I saw Chantal Kreviazuk and the Barenaked Ladies play there.

Well-known youthful brands seen onstage included French Connection, American Apparel and Danier Leather. This men’s graphic tee by American Apparel caught my eye and reminded me that I’d like to make a similar shirt at the Bang-On store in Toronto.

OHM-6

A show inspired by Pinterest would be incomplete without some nice DIY designs. For the ‘Salvage’ segment, Leah Brown transformed thrift shop purchases, such as these denim shorts, into runway-ready outfits.

OHM-8

OHM not only highlighted some upcoming trends for spring, but also entertained the crowd through phenomenal choreography. As you can see, it’s never too late to learn how to make a ballerina-style hair bun!

OHM-5

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