5 years ago, I went to see Barenaked Ladies perform in London and I commented that it wasn’t as good as the concert I remembered in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre.
Walking into Massey Hall last night, I wondered if my claim that it’s better to see them in Toronto would be true and Saturday’s show proved that I was right. I loved everything about it, except for the encore because they played 2 covers I didn’t enjoy.
The last time Coldplay came to Toronto, I said I felt like I was in paradise. I don’t want to exaggerate, but the band came close to recreating that experience this week at the Rogers Centre.
First of all, it really comes down to where you sit. The Rogers Centre is huge, so it’s worth the extra investment in really good seats. This time I sat in the 200 level on the side of the stage and it was great. If it’s a pop concert with lots of detailed set design and costumes, it would be even more important.
My first Coldplay concert was also special because I had never seen an artist use lit up wristbands to connect the audience. Their team deserves a lot of credit for pioneering this. This time, they took their lighting to the next level by syncing their show with the CN Tower’s lighting system! That was truly magical and unique.
In high school, I did a presentation for my media class (i.e. my favourite class) about alternative music and I spent lots of time trying to find an image of One Tree Hill’s Peyton Sawyer wearing a Tegan and Sara t-shirt. I don’t remember if that’s the show that introduced me to them, but regardless of how I discovered the Canadian twins, I’m glad I did.
I was relieved when I was finally able to buy a ticket to see them live in Toronto. Massey Hall turned out to be an incredible venue and I felt like I had the best seat in the house (on the aisle, in the third row of the first balcony). I swear I had a better view than when I’ve had floor seats at the Air Canada Centre.
Photo Source: Racheal McCaig
What would you do if you could realize your dreams a few decades after you die? For the Plaids, this is not a ridiculous notion—it’s reality. Most fans of the fictitious 1950s male quartet think they died in an emergency room, but patrons in Toronto can experience their music live at the Panasonic Theatre until June 12!
At the beginning of the show, the group explains that they want to seize the opportunity to perform the show they never could when they were alive. This enables the show’s escapist quality, as the oldies music and out-dated costumes make the audience feel like they’re travelling through time with the performers.
Photo Source: 680 News
I promise I didn’t see Kinky Boots just because it’s about red boots. In fact, I didn’t even wear my red shoes to the theatre. I saw Kinky Boots because it’s an award-winning show with music by Cyndi Lauper and its story about fashion and friendship is intriguing.
The story about Charlie (Graham Scott Fleming), a young professional in Northampton, England, rebuilding his late father’s shoe factory is interesting in the first act, but it loses steam in the second act, which is less eventful. The fate of Charlie’s relationship with his fiancé is as predictable as the future of his shoe business.
Charlie desperately needs inspiration to turn his shoe business around and when his loyal employee Lauren (AJ Bridel), who harbours a crush on him, inspires him to chase a niche market, Charlie promotes her and establishes a business partnership with Lola, a local drag queen.