Browsing Tag

One Tree Hill

Concert Review: Tegan and Sara

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.

October 29, 2016 by Sarah Prince

Concert Review: Shania Twain

Shania came back to Toronto for her third visit on the Rock This Country tour and she’s clearly on a mission to reconnect with fans that have noticed her absence from the concert circuit.

Gavin DeGraw, who rose to fame thanks to the beloved show One Tree Hill, was the opening act and he started the evening on a powerful note. He began behind the piano to perform Soldier and then continued to play hits like Sweeter and Chariot. His cover of Bryan Adams’ Heaven was a notable highlight.

He really got the crowd riled up when he stepped off the stage to sing I Don’t Wanna Be with fans on the floor. He shook fans’ hands as he walked around with security and I watched with envy from the nosebleed section. At the time, I didn’t know that he was prepared to get so personal with fans that he would surprise a lucky bride and groom’s guests at a local wedding the same night! Gavin and Shania were both sentimental about their last night on tour together and I was delighted to see Gavin come back on stage to sing Party for Two as a duet with her.

October 13, 2015 by Sarah Prince

Behind the Band: 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.

March 15, 2013 by Sarah Prince

Are You There, Chelsea? I’m Not Laughing Yet.

Since the People’s Choice Awards and One Tree Hill aired back to back on Wednesday, both of which I insisted on watching live, I didn’t get a chance to watch NBC’s new sitcom Are You There, Chelsea? until today. Given that the first two of the aforementioned shows were less than satisfactory to say the least, I wondered if I’d made the right decision; maybe the sitcom would’ve brought more cheer to my otherwise lacklustre evening. However, after watching the sitcom, I can’t help but feel cynical because I didn’t even laugh once.

Whenever I occasionally watch reruns of That 70s Show, I always identify with the redhead, Laura Prepon’s character Donna, the most. I don’t remember why anymore, as I prefer watching Two and a Half Men and Seinfeld in syndication now, so I haven’t seen the retro-based comedy in a few years, but that much I know. As such, I was pleased to learn that Laura Prepon would be starring in NBC’s new mid-season show.

In September 2010 I watched Chelsea Handler’s stand up routine at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas confident that she’d make me laugh on my birthday, given her reputation as a comedian and author. Now that some of those same stories she jokingly shared over a year ago now serve as material for the NBC sitcom she produces and has a recurring role in as the protagonist’s catholic sister, I hope the show will exceed expectations, just as Chelsea did when I saw her live.

January 14, 2012 by Sarah Prince