Browsing Tag

London

Behind the Band: Two Hours Traffic

Two Hours Traffic

Some Western students may have missed Two Hours Traffic’s last local concert to attend Homecoming festivities instead. Thankfully, the Canadian band is returning to Call the Office on Tuesday to promote their new album Foolish Blood.

Their latest tour began at the end of February and recently included a stop in Texas for the SXSW festival. No matter where they perform, Liam Corcoran, lead vocalist for Two Hours Traffic, emphasizes he values his eastern Canadian heritage.

“The sound we have is kind of reminiscent of the Halifax pop sound,” Corcoran remarks. “I think between the way we write songs and the way we sound, I think we belong to a kind of family of bands that started out in Halifax. Also, [it seems] we must have an accent, although I don’t really notice it.”

Two Hours Traffic is content living in Prince Edward Island, but Corcoran has his eye on Toronto as his future home. Corcoran admits America’s song-writing capital Nashville, Tennessee is a particularly appealing alternative too.

“We have a lot of friends [in Toronto] and family as well. We know the city really well,” Corcoran says. “I’ve never seriously thought about anywhere other than Toronto, [but] I daydream about a few places.”

Recognizing concerts with major headliners are relatively rare in Canada’s remote areas like the Northwest Territories, Corcoran likes playing there because everyone truly appreciates the opportunity to see them play live.

The band’s catchy hit song “Jezebel” has been featured on many film and television soundtracks, including in episodes of popular teen shows like One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl. Eager to interact with fans that discovered them on such TV shows, Corcoran and his fellow band mates tend to hang around the merchandise table after concerts.

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March 15, 2013 by

Amber Mac in London

Twitter is one of the best websites around. Without it, I never would’ve connected with Amber Mac.

Why is Amber Mac so special? Well, Tony Robbins explains it best:

For all things social media and technology, Amber Mac’s got you covered. So when I was reading tweets on Wednesday afternoon and Amber posted about a keynote in London the next day, I froze. “London, ON” might as well have been written in bold neon font in caps lock because that’s how much those key words stood out. A few Google searches, emails and direct messages later, I arranged to attend her presentation at London’s annual EDCO conference.

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February 10, 2013 by

Urban Outfitters’ Grand Opening in London

After Blockbuster closed its doors, Urban Outfitters seized the opportunity to open its first London, Ontario location. Transforming the former video rental store into an urban shopping paradise required over eight months of construction followed by final touches done by the chain’s visual display team.

Their extensive preparations certainly paid off and district manager Sarah Leising is more than pleased with how the 8,000 square foot space looks now. Eager to see London’s students visit and shop with friends and family, she’s confident that the store’s uniquely “eccentric” environment will make it a hot spot on Richmond Row.

Although Urban Outfitters has grown to become an international chain, Sarah emphasized that they make an ongoing effort to be “culturally relevant,” such as through collaborations with local designers and organizations.

To connect with London’s music lovers, the store is hosting a grand opening party on Thursday February 7. The Elwins, Eternal Summers and Richie Blackz will perform on the second level from 6-8 PM. Get there early!

Sales associate and MIT classmate Stephanie Edwards is excited to work there, knowing that she can be herself and have fun on the job. Her co-worker Monique told me she’s equally jazzed about her part-time job because she likes the store’s alternative vibe and the flexible dress code for employees.

I’ve shopped at Urban Outfitters in Washington, Las Vegas, New York, Montreal and Toronto, so I can attest that Urban Outfitters has a great selection and I’m excited to monitor new arrivals at their London store.

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January 30, 2013 by

Labatt Brewery Tour

With only a few months left at Western, it’s time to complete my London to-do list. Inspired by a keynote speech by Jorn Socquet, VP of Marketing for Labatt Breweries of Canada, I was determined to visit the hidden gem that is Labatt’s local manufacturing plant.

For only $10 admission, anyone of legal drinking age can book a tour lasting about two hours. Thanks to Jade, who’s a real estate agent by day and tour guide by night, my friend Akritee and I, learned a lot about the brewing process.  Eager to emphasize how Labatt incorporates recycling and environmentally-friendly initiatives, Jade’s explanations brought new meaning to infotainment. Although it was frustrating to see one red-capped bottle fall under the radar of a worker whose responsibility is to notice recycled bottles with caps still on them, it was a fascinating tour overall.

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January 28, 2013 by

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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November 13, 2012 by