With O-Week festivities over, I eagerly wanted to find something fun to do with my long weekend (thanks to Fridays off all school year long). The Arkells’ free show on Thursday night at Western Fair inspired me to take the roommate and leave the bubble bordered by Masonville to the north and the VIA Rail station to the south.
I have yet to try Elephant Ears or a Colossal Onion, but exploring the fair grounds and midway made for a great evening, especially because I didn’t make it to The Ex this summer. Ferris wheel: awesome. Mini roller coaster: awesome. Fun at Western Fair: priceless.
My Facebook album featuring summer 2012 highlights is called Paradise, after the hit song by Coldplay, which captures my sentiment this summer. Here’s why:
Walt Disney once said, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” Going backstage at a concert has been a dream ever since meeting a Marianas Trench band member working the merchandise table at their 2009 Western O-Week show.
Ian Casselman, Marianas Trench (September 2009)
Saturday afternoon, I managed to meet Jesse Labelle, a 2012 headliner at the same show. Leaving that tent afterwards broke my heart, but at least I also got to meet my mitZine editor IRL for the first time!
Western may be known for offering “the best student experience,” but last year I suffered from a major case of FOMO (fear of missing out) because I follow a lot of Torontonians online who made me wish I was there instead. Thus, it was very ironic when I ran into Casie Stewart, queen of Toronto’s Twitter scene, on the first day of TIFF whilst wearing the red jeans I speak of in my Twitter bio and en route to London.
The professional role model question is a staple in Hot On The Street interviews, so you can imagine how elated I felt when Peter Shankman responded shortly after I forwarded him my farewell email to Canadian Tire’s online marketing team mentioning his influence. Now that I’m back in London, there’s no TV in my apartment building’s elevators for me to literally look up to him.
I can’t wait to see what happens next. To quote Jesse Labelle’s Twitter bio… L’chaim!
P.S. This post is dedicated to a new friend whom I met at an Indigo Starbucks. Have fun in London!
When musicians offer concertgoers not just a phenomenal performance, but a souvenir too, it sure makes you feel like you’re in paradise.
Pun with Coldplay’s song lyrics intended, as that’s precisely how I felt last night at the Air Canada Centre, where I received a special Xyloband. With my cell phone stashed away in my purse, the stadium was brighter than usual each time the tech crew activated fans’ Xylobands; no one needed to wave lighters or waste cell phone batteries as they swayed their arms – the special bands imported from the UK did justice and then some.
If you missed the show, here are the highlights of my concert photos:
Hillside fans’ experiences with umbrellas aside, Dave Matthews Band’s sold-out show at Molson Amphitheatre on Saturday night was outstanding. In addition to the VIP experience I enjoyed thanks to American Express (seriously, follow them on Facebook), the band ensured no one left disappointed.
Rock bands as talented as Dave Matthews Band don’t need flashy costumes or fancy choreographed dances to convince the crowd of their greatness. Their undeniable raw talent led me to focus on their music and appreciate how well the onscreen season-appropriate imagery of roller coasters, flowers and birds fit the outdoor atmosphere.
Blind Pilot’s intimate encore performance above a patio inspired me to delve into their tracks online and reinforced how fortunate I am to live in Toronto, where such treats abound all summer long. Though I was disappointed that “Funny the Way It Is” was missing from Dave Matthews Band’s setlist, I had such a good time that I felt if I got a mosquito bite, it would be worth it.
On Thursday May 3, Canadian icon Bryan Adams performed for 2 1/2 hours, likely making it one of the longest performances I’ve ever attended – not that I nor any of his other twenty thousand or so fans minded. His stop at the Air Canada Centre last night was ultimately a fantastic way to kick-off my summer break.
Bryan Adams is one of those musicians whose work makes a great addition to a driving playlist, so as I watched and listened in awe, I thought back to trips to such places as London, Montreal, Sudbury and Buffalo. Download and then play “Open Road” on your next road trip and you’ll understand.
Since attending his acoustic performance at Massey Hall in August 2009, the middle aged demographic in the audience didn’t surprise me, but the Twitter stream projected onto a screen leading up to his set sure did. I don’t know whether it was the copious amounts of beer I spotted many ticketholders consuming, or if it’s just his fans’ regular diction, but the live Twitter stream illuminated how publicly featuring live tweets can be problematic because some fans’ tweets shown onscreen included profanity. In any case, given the size of touring musicians’ entourages, it couldn’t hurt to have a moderator if tour producers wish to incorporate social media like that.
