carnivalnights

Man, I feel so high. I just got back from Rufus Wainwright tonight and he was fantastic. I do not have one negative thing to say about the entire show (minus the fact that the venue was sweltering and obviously not air conditioned). He put on an amazing show and I am so happy we got tickets. It was very last-minute but even then, we managed to get tickets six rows back from the stage. Rufus had an entire band with him, including three new people playing saxophone, trumpet and French horn. There was a flute, a clarinet, drums, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar, banjo, and I think maracas at one point. And of course, Rufus played the piano during several songs. A lot of the band members sang back-up throughout the show as well, and they were all very talented. I was very impressed with the band.

Ah, Rufus. What can I say? The guy knows how to put on a show. He was brilliant from beginning to end. When he walks on to stage, his smile lights up the room. He is full of energy (but not in a hyperactive, obnoxious way). He oozes sexuality. And he is endlessly talented. Man, can that boy sing. He has such brilliant control over his voice, and you can tell that sure, he has probably trained endlessly, but he was just born with this gift. (Hell, he was touring with his sister by thirteen.) You can tell the passion and enjoyment is pumping through his veins during each song, creating a high for him. He is so sensual and passionate, and he often throws his head back, closes his eyes and sways back and forth... you just know he is feeling one of the greatest feelings in the world when he performs. He closes his eyes when he sings, most of the time. I would even go as far to say that it is some sort of sexual experience too, for both him and the audience, especially when he plays guitar (if you have seen him perform, you know exactly what I mean). This is what he is meant to be doing in life. A lot of the solo songs, where it was just Rufus and the piano, got very emotional for me. His voice is just so beautiful and he is such a fantastic piano player. When he did his solos, the entire crowd was completely silent and just stared. Not a cough, not a sigh, not a peep. He was mesmerizing. And I use that term in its truest sense: you could not look away for even a moment. You were afraid you would miss something.

On top of being passionate and emotional, he was also hilarious and interacted with the crowd throughout the show. He played one song saying it was dedicated to Brandon Flowers of The Killers ("Tulsa") and was saying Brandon somehow found this out. "So I'm expecting an e-mail from him any day now... I don't know if he'll want to sue me or suck me." And the crowd cracked up. (They would be so hot together! I wonder if they ever were.) That was certainly not the only gay aspect of the show! There were, of course, numerous Judy Garland references. Rufus also came out wearing striped pants so tight you would be able to read his credit card numbers. And later in the show, after the intermission, he came out wearing one of those Swedish Lederhosen outfits. (Video, from a different show.) I nearly died. It was hot though; only someone like Rufus could have pulled that off. He came out all proud, wiggling his ass. It was priceless. And then... after the whole encore demand, Rufus came waltzing out in his housecoat and mentioned, "I'm naked under here." Of course, that only got him "TAKE IT OFF!"'s from the crowd. He sang a few more songs, yes, in the housecoat. The first one was absolutely gorgeous, but he sung it in French. By that point I could not tell if the sweat was from the hot venue or Rufus. Heh. Oh, man, he sings beautifully in French. That was probably one of my favourite songs out of the entire show, I really need to find out what it was called and it is called "Complainte De La Butte" (from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack). (Video, from a different show.) Naturally, the crowd went wild with cheering and clapping once he started to get into the French lyrics. Oh, and hi, he is Canadian. Another plus. *warm and fuzzy inside* That is obviously why his accent is freaking flawless. He grew up in Montréal, Quebec.

After this song, he sat on a chair center stage and started putting on this sparkly clip-on earrings, and once he started smearing on the red lipstick, I had a feeling I knew what was under the housecoat. Oh, yes, he then put on some sexy, black high heels. He stands up, the band comes out in matching black suits and pink shirts, covering Rufus while the housecoat drops to the floor, and lo and behold... Rufus is wearing black pantyhose and a suit jacket so short it was actually a dress, topped with a black fedora. Yes, guys and dolls, he had fabulous legs. He presented a very musical-esque version of Judy Garland's "Get Happy." It was fantastic because the band members (all straight, as far as we were told) were dancing around, with their jazz hands and all, fawning over Rufus. It was goddamn hilarious and just such a surprise. It even got a standinv ovation. I had heard before I even went to this show that Rufus does one "crazy" number each show, and I guess this was ours! It was just brilliant. I could not have been happier to see that man in a skirt and heels! (Video, from the show we were at.) I love the fact that he is so accepting of his sexuality. He came out as a teen so I guess he is ahead of many gay folks in that sense, and he has had more time to go through that acceptance process. All of his gay jokes throughout the show were hilarious. I just think seeing him live and seeing him so comfortable in his own skin made me admire him even more. He is confident but not cocky or arrogant by any means, and I love that. He has also been through a lot in his life, including rape and addiction. You have to love someone who is able to overcome the bad and somehow still remain so strong. I admire anyone like this, of course, but Rufus just makes you love him and want to be his friend because being around him makes you happy too. Heh. It is sort of hard to explain, but everyone came out of that show smiling and laughing. Us included. I guess I just wanted to mention this because I honestly think he will go down in history as one of the greatest and most groundbreaking gay entertainers of all time. I think all of his interaction with the audience also makes him a fab performer. He also chose an amazing set of songs. There was honestly not a single song I disliked. They were all beautiful. He played a lot from "Release the Stars" but also some from his other albums. I think he also played "Do I Disappoint You," "Nobody's Off The Hook," "April Fools," "Beautiful Child," "Grey Gardens," "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk," "Going to a Town," "Between My Legs," "Gay Messiah" (video), "Maker Makes," "The Art Teacher" (video), "Pretty Things" (which he dedicated to the opening act, Andrew Rodriguez), "Leaving for Paris," "Foggy Day," "Sanssouci" (he calls this "the gay Margaritaville song"), "Release the Stars" and I think "Not Ready to Love." I will add a complete setlist later.

Although I noticed this before I saw him live, the show proved once again how much control he has over his voice. He sounds even better live, and that is very hard for a musician to do. I love a lot of musicians and a lot of bands... but few will ever match the love I have for his voice. He is in my top three favourite voices of all time, no question. A voice that can bring me to tears is one to be treasured. What is also great is how unique it is; he would never be mistaken for someone else, ever. His voice did not fail him once, and I think the show went on for almost three hours (with the intermission). It was brilliant throughout every song, but it was really emphasized with his piano solos. Again, especially during those moments, I could not take my eyes off of him. His voice is so versatile. He did a lot of lounge-esque music as well, and it was all brilliant. He did some faster-paced songs, and they were brilliant too. At one point, he even sang without a microphone during an Irish song his mother told him to sing at his shows, and that was brilliant. His voice is so strong that he does not even need a microphone or any other instrument around him. It made me silently pray that one day I could somehow get him to perform an a cappella serenade, just for me...

Needless to say, I was super impressed with Rufus, his band, and the entire live experience. If any Rufus fans out there were debating getting tickets, get them. His performance is worth every penny, but more importantly, you come out knowing you will remember the show for the rest of your life. His music is lovely, his lyrics are heartfelt and deep. You will be blown away by his hypnotizing voice, his fabulous fashion sense, his talented band members, and his captivating and humorous personality. I promise! Plus, he has great hair.

/gushing.

Adam Brazier as Frank with his glittery nipples, hairless body and succulent thighs.

Oh. My. God. I have a new favourite musical. The Rocky Horror Show was last night and it was PHENOMENAL. It has been a long time since I have laughed that hard throughout a show, and I was completely captivated by the performance. We were in Row CC Orchestra Center, and that was literally a few feet from the stage. I am so happy I got those tickets for that specific performance because although it would not have been less enjoyable further away, it really enhanced my enjoyment. I know I would have enjoyed the show no matter what but wow, does being that close ever make a difference. The acting was absolutely amazing; it was rare to see anyone come out of character for even a second. The singing was what impressed me most; beautiful, beautiful voices from all of the characters, especially my new idol, Adam Brazier (Frank-N-Furter). Ugh, was he so perfect for the role. He was arrogant, sexually-charged and dominant. He was so brilliant. And sexy. He is coming out with a solo CD sometime soon too. *drools*

Before the show, they had the Phantoms dressed as theatre attendants (well, sexy ones with short skirts and skin-tight leotard), wearing grey wigs and hats. Now, these "creatures" were extremely weird. They ran around everywhere and were pretty much acting like they were on high doses of speed. On the site there is a list of props you are told you are allowed to bring (noise-makers, feather boas, fishnet stockings, rubber gloves, etc.)... and all of the people wearing feather boas got mauled by these Phantoms. The Phantoms ran around humping random people but also tried to eat people's feather boas. The pulled off wigs (some people were dressed up, mostly as Magenta), they sat on people's laps, they scared the crap out of old ladies. I have no idea why but the audience was almost all 55-60+. I realize it was still part of that generation but I thought there would be mostly baby boomers there, in their 40s/early 50s, and then this generation's late teens, 20s and 30s. But the majority of the audience was definitely elderly, and we were definitely a minority. So yes, the Phantoms were freaking hilarious and everyone was just twisted in their seats watching them. It was bizarre and a really interesting element to the show while everyone was being seated. I have definitely never seen anything like it.

After the show started it was non-stop laughing and clapping and mouth-dropping. Men humping men, women in their bras, simulated sex, simulated masturbation, boob-grabbing, humping, Frank in his corset and garters, Brad running around in his underwear... and on top of all this, the audience was allowed to shout out things to the actors, which was funny. People danced during "Time Warp" and did the arm thing in their seats (when they did "Time Warp" at the end a lot of people stood up and danced--the show just had that much of a feel-good effect). It was just so great because this truly was a collective experience. They even made you hug your neighbour at the beginning of the show. Hah. It was just really neat to be in a room full of people who were having the time of their life, no matter what age or gender. It was funny because before the show, the Phantom introducing us to the interactive parts (what we had to say and when) made a crack about Stephen Harper and everyone started boo-ing. You know damn well no one who voted for Stephen Harper was in that room! (For those outside of Canada, he is our Conservative Prime Minister and sucks major ass.) It was comforting being with a group of people who were all a part of this fandom, this 'cult' following, and were there sharing it with you and were just as comfortable with sex and transvestites. I know conventions (comic book, Star Trek, etc.) get a bad rep, but I honestly do understand it. I think this experience just confirmed that. The best thing about Rocky Horror is that in order to like it, you have to be a bit crazy and perverted. It is rare I am in a room full of people like that, so it was really neat.

It was such an amazing experience that less than 24 hours later I already have tickets again for next Wednesday. I went with Cathy this time around but I am dragging Sean. He is not really a big fan of Rocky Horror but I am taking him anyway because I know he will enjoy it. There is no way I would let this show close without seeing it again. It only runs until the first week of May. :( I would honestly go three or four times if it was possible. I cannot say enough good things about this show.

Frank and Columbia (Christine Rossi).

Anyway, Placebo was last Friday and I did not have time to write about it before so I will quickly recap. Sean had to arrive late due to an exam, so I was there by myself for the first two hours (but that includes lining up outside, the opening act, and only a few Placebo songs). Sadly, there were three times as many people as last time. Last time I would say there were about two hundred people at the show. This time there were about five hundred. I foolishly thought I would be able to handle being near the stage, about ten rows of people back. I was inwardly suffering but it was not too bad during the opening act. The opening act was Evaline and I am sorry but I have nothing good to say about them. They were horrible. Perhaps they are bad live and are okay on CD, I do not know. But they were loud and obnoxious, and I did not like them at all. Placebo came on about half an hour later, and that is when things started to get bad. I never go to standing-room only concerts due to back problems, so I imagine this may be normal for these shows. These fucking idiots kept coming from the back of the crowd and literally pushing their way to the front. Packs of them. Every few minutes. It got pretty violent at times, and I was flung forward and almost completely pushed over on to the floor several times. Like, these people just had no concept of human safety or respect. I was fuming mad and not enjoying the show by this point. Every few minutes my gaze would go from Brian Molko to the idiots scrambling around trying to push their way up. I was praying for Sean to get their faster because I could not take it anymore. Eventually, when he did, we could not find each other (talking on cell phones is useless at a concert, so we resorted to text messaging) and I had to leave my place (close enough to see Brian sweat) to go to the very back by the soundboard. In the end though, it was the best thing to do. It was so much cooler back there (not so many bodies packed together) and no one was pushing. It was like going from one concert to another because the back was so mellow while the front was filled with disgusting pot-smokers and stupid wannabe goth girls.

My god. The younger girls at this show. The guys were the ones smoking pot, but it was a lot of the younger girls who needed a bitch-slap. Some of the girls were fine, but most of them were screaming and jumping and pushing. Like, you do not mosh at Placebo. There was no moshing last time and there was no moshing this time, except for these immature girls who obviously had too much sugar (or crack) before the show. I have decided I hate all ages shows for this very reason. I realize it sounds ageist (and sexist), but I could not take it and it wore my patience thin. People that ignorant should not be allowed in. If you are going to push and shove, get the hell out and go to a Limp Bizkit concert, okay? After the show, the older girls (mostly my age) in the bathroom were friendly and even started up conversation as we all waited in line. The younger ones just seemed to be in attack-mode all night. A Placebo concert is not the place to be acting that immature and rude. It gets to the point where bands like Radiohead make it clear they will not tolerate moshing or behavior like that, and they will actually stop the show if they see it happening. Good for them. Placebo should do the same thing.

Anyway! Brian's voice was phenomenal, even better than last time. (Although I enjoyed the last show more because I would have been able to stay at the front without being trampled, if I had chosen to... it was far more mellow last time.) Even Sean commented on his voice and how crisp and trained it sounded. He has not lost any of his ability to perform with age, none. So that was a really great bonus, him just pelting it out and never faltering. The complete setlist thanks to secretcircus: Meds, Because I Want You, Drag, Sleeping With Ghosts, I Know, Song to Say Goodbye, Follow the Cops Back Home, Every You Every Me, Special Needs, One of a Kind, Without You I'm Nothing, Bionic, Blind, Special K, The Bitter End, Running Up That Hill, Taste in Men, Twenty Years. "Special K" was awesome. It is one of my favourite Placebo songs and Brian let everyone sing the "ba da bop bop ba da na naa"s. Stefan is so cute because he always does the over-the-head-clapping thing during "No hesitation, no delay..." at every live show during this song; I have yet to see a live rendition where he does not do it. They did a great job with "Without You I'm Nothing" as well (which I have now dubbed a good sex song). It had a real opiate effect on me. Unfortunately they did not really do any of my favourite songs because, to be honest, Meds is not one of my favourite albums. Most of the songs they did were from Meds, obviously. I enjoy a lot from Sleeping with Ghosts but generally speaking, I like old Placebo better. Regardless though, Brian's voice was great and Stefan, as always, put on a great show. He always comes so close to the crowd and really interacts with the audience. I suppose he gets overlooked due to Brian, but Stefan is awesome and I love him. Brian is a great performer but this time he kept his eyes closed most of the time and did not interact with the audience as much. Heh. Stefan dances, makes faces, touches hands with audience members, etc. He is really great and I always enjoy watching him. You can tell he loves being on stage, and you can tell he appreciates his fans (I am not saying Brian does not, I am just saying this time around Brian seemed a little under the weather). I could not see Steve at all from where I was... poor bloke. But he was good too! The rest of the show from the soundboard area was much better, and with Sean there I felt a lot safer anyway. If his arm is around me, I feel less anxious and panicky.

So all in all, I did really enjoy the show but the first part was ruined for me. I was so impressed with Brian's sensational voice and he kept it up throughout the entire show. What was worse than the first part of the show was actually the aftermath of standing for six hours straight (the wait in line, the wait for the opening act, the opening act, the wait for Placebo, then Placebo--in total it was six hours of standing). I cannot even stand for one hour without pain in my back and feet, let alone six. So on the way home I was in so much pain. You know when you are walking forever and then your feet hurt even more when you sit down? Well that is what was happening to me and I was almost in tears, no joke. But I had to endure it because it took over an hour to get home by bus and subway. When I got home, I put my feet in a basin of scalding hot water and just let them soak for about four hours, periodically changing the water when it went warm. That was the only way the pain seemed to subside. Needless to say, I have no idea if I can do it again whenever Placebo decides to come back. They will only play at the Kool Haus, which is a club so it is always standing-room only. It is unfortunate but a fact I just may have to face. I am glad I went, regardless, because I still had a good time during the last half.

I just wish I could get Placebo to play at a seated venue...

I wish I had nothing but good things to say about the Radiohead concert last night, but in all honestly it was pretty bad. No, not Radiohead. But everything else, certainly. First of all, everyone knows I have SAD so a concert for me is like a milestone even though it is just a normal activity for anyone else. (And just FYI to the creators of the ridiculous rule about no waterbottles: some people do indeed need to keep hydrated to survive, especially those with anxiety disorders. God. They took mine away going through the security check.) It is very hard for me to be in a crowded areas, especially where you are almost cheek-to-cheek. I did feel very panicked at times but I did not have a full-blown attack. There was sweating and rapid heartbeat, but no collapsing. Though, in the washroom afterward I thought I might have an attack so I stayed in the stall until everyone was gone. I am pathetic.

Anyway, I was only able to see about four songs. For whatever reason, even though these tickets were extremely expensive and in a nice seated venue, people stood the entire time. For 23 songs, people stood. Our seats already sucked but I was hoping to make the best of it, yet everyone made that impossible. Now, if it had been standing-room only I probably would not have gone because I cannot stand for two hours straight. (And I do not think most people would pay $80 for a standing-room only venue.) I have back problems and a bad knee. Sean has back problems too, so I do not think either of us would have enjoyed that. So I could only stand so long before I had to sit down and stare at people's backs. Sean sat down for some songs too. Even when I was standing, of course, I got stuck in front of an extremely tall man and could barely see then. Sean was getting pissed off because he thought I could still make the best of it... even though I was unable to see? Hm. He offered to switch with me but being short, it would have been pretty much the same everywhere. Unfortunately, being short and being at a concert do not mix. I think even Sean would have had a hard time seeing over this asshole (who was also wearing a hat, by the way), and he would not have been able to see at all sitting down either, so I declined his offer. No sense having it ruined for both of us.

It was just ridiculous. Even during the really slow songs where it was respectful to sit down (ie. Exit Music (For a Film)), people still stood! You could see people sitting in all of the other sections during some slow songs, holding their lighters up, but not in ours. It was just my section that felt the compulsive need to stand. The section right beside us was sitting throughout most of the show, comfortable and happy. I was bored out of my mind. I mean, sure I could hear the music but that is just one of two required elements at a concert. I wanted to see them. At points I wanted to go out and sit on the steps between the seats, but I know Sean would have been mad if I left him and plus, there were a lot of people sitting there already and standing on them, even. You know, standing for the first three songs, fine. I stood for those too. Standing for the encore, okay, I stood for that too. But come on. A lot of people did get tired and sat down for some songs, but lucky for them they were tall enough to actually be able to see. I was not. Needless to say, I was pissed off and I was in a bad mood for the majority of the concert, and that could have all been prevented if people would have just sat down some of the time. Or if I had been in another section with considerate people who sat down when they saw others sitting down.

So yeah, it basically sucked. I did manage to see some of the songs, as I mentioned, and from what I did see it was great. They were back to their old selves, Thom gyrating and hovering over the mic, Johnny hunched over with his hair across his eyes. Thom's voice sounded nothing like it did at the Amsterdam show, luckily. It was smooth, clean, perfect. This was especially noticable during Nude (a song where he actually started laughing at the beginning because a girl had yelled something out like, "THOM'S FUCKING SEXY!"). One of the most impressive things was seeing Johnny play guitar with a violin bow. What. The. Fuck. That man is talent on legs, honestly. He can do everything. Everyone in the band can play multiple instruments, and it is very sad that people like Britney Spears get so much recognition for just getting up there and singing. Who cares? Tons of people can sing. Tons of people cannot play multiple instruments. Thom played piano and to everyone's surprise, drums (during Bangers 'n Mash). Aside from not being able to see most of this, I was a bit upset that they did not play many of my favourites. They played Exit Music and Street Spirit, but they did not play No Surprises, Karma Police or My Iron Lung. I really wished they had at least played No Surprises. :( One of their new songs that I really enjoyed was Open Pick. I need a clearer bootleg.

After the concert, and after some bickering about what happened inside (Sean admits I had shitty luck and that it was stupid of people to stand the entire time), we hung around downtown until 1a.m. We sat on some benches around the financial district (one of the places the terrorists planned to bomb) and talked about terrorism, Canadian government and other exciting things. We talked about the guy beside me who was obviously on speed, seizuring, bopping his head and tapping his foot throughout the entire show, even during slow songs and even when Radiohead was not even on stage in between encores. At first it was funny but then it was annoying. You could always see him out of the corner of your eye and it was distracting. He also knocked my water over with his vibrating leg. And the guy beside Sean started smoking a cigarette too, which was lovely. The smell of weed permiated throughout the venue until the show's end, and all I could think was, 'Shouldn't the live music be enough of a euphoria for you?' Obviously the venue was non-smoking, but it is now illegal to smoke in any public place in Toronto. So yeah, another piss off there. I have to smell weed 24/7 at home, thank you. I do not need to be choking on that and cigarette smoke at a non-smoking venue, you assholes.

We took the subway half way to my place where I was ready to fall asleep. We took a cab from the station the rest of the way to get there faster. The end of the night made me feel better. I was in such a bad mood but luckily the night did not end that way. We laughed and talked... talked some more. Sean left around 3:30a.m. and after talking to him on his cell for a bit on his way home, I passed out almost immediately.