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.

Your Order Is Complete.
Qty 2
Event/Item: Placebo
Mon, Apr 9, 2007 07:00 PM
Venue: The Guvernment
Delivery: Regular Mail
Total Charge: CA $80.50

I AM GOING, I AM GOING! :D:D

All of a sudden, out of nowhere last week, they announced a Toronto show. I thought it was a joke and I actually got into a bit of a tiff with a member on a Placebo community because I had heard nothing about it and I hate when people start spreading rumours about shows. So I ate my own words, flipped out, and got my tickets. And of course, there were no problems whatsoever. They were not sold out, I did not have to log on to Ticketmaster the second they were put on sale, and it did not bust the bank. I swore I would never go to a standing-room only show unless it was Placebo. So that is the trade-off, I suppose. I could not care less though. My legs are burning in pain by the time the concert is over, but while I am there, I feel as high as a kite. Really. Last time I saw them, I had this sense of euphoria the entire time they played and I beaming from ear to ear, so the leg pain was a little more manageable.

God. I am so happy. I will be out of school when they play too, April 9th (haha, yes, in the same month as Jann Arden). I will be there by myself for most of the concert because Sean has an exam that evening, but I honestly do not care. If he had said no, I would have gone myself anyway. It is pretty amazing what you will sacrifice for your favourite band. And they are honestly the only band I will make these kinds of sacrifices for... standing-room only? I have serious back problems but for Placebo, I would put myself in a hospital. Heh.

I am going to leave really early and stand right near the front. *hyperventilate*

Ah, Bright Eyes. Well, to start off, this concert was a much better experience, so there is little bitching ahead.

The trek there took quite a while, but at least I did not get lost. Because Sean had to work, we decided to meet up at the venue. I got there first, of course. When I got to Massey Hall and started heading toward my seat, my mouth dropped open. I have been to Massey Hall before but never on the floor, so the seats were a lot closer than I imagined. I realized the fourth row would be close, yes, but I predicted at that moment I could possibly be hit with Conor sweat because it was so close. We we not in the very center, but the seats were awesome, regardless.

The show opened with the strangest creature you will ever meet: Gruff Rhys. He is a Welsh singer, and I think he only did two English songs. Since he is a professional audio engineer, he put on a real show. He had tons of instruments, at least fifteen. He multi-tasked throughout his performance using this collection and it was really quite impressive. Songs were infused with everything from rainforest bird calls to megaphones. He had a great sense of humour and was extremely interactive. I thought his music was very strange and I may not rush out to buy his CD, but he deserves a lot of credit for what he does. He is extremely talented and his performance felt very intimate because he never stopped talking to us.

The obligatory high-pitched screeching, love yous and marry mes--from girls and boys alike--followed as Conor and his band walked on to the stage. Conor looks deathly thin up-close and I almost cringed at his poor stick legs. But he still looked great. As expected, Conor was a bit drunk already and proceeded to have a couple of beers throughout the performance. But thankfully, he still put on a great show and did not seem to falter enough for us to notice. (Although I think having a beer is fine on stage, Conor has let it get out of control many times and lashed out at the audience and criticized their city. I had no intention of staying if it came to that. I think I would have walked out.) Despite being the end of their Canadian tour, Conor's voice seemed warmed up and quivered as well as ever. Everyone in the band seemed very enthusiastic and had their heart right in the show. I was extremely impressed with the violinist (I think his name is Anton Patzner), who played with the utmost passion and talent. He was really, really great and reminded me how sexy that instrument is... All boys should play the violin.

My prayers were answered when they played First Day of My Life. We were even more lucky because the other band members went off stage for this song and Conor did an acoustic version. It was so beautiful. They did not play Lover I Don't Have to Love at the last Bright Eyes concert we went to, but they did at this one and I was very pleased. It might be cliché to adore the song, but hearing it live reminded me where the adoration comes from. It is a very hard and passionate song, and on stage this is very present as the band thrashes about and seems completely engulfed in the emotional meanings of the song. It really tugs at your heart strings. They played a great new song called Soul Singer in a Session Band. I really liked it and I hope it is the direction their new album is going. Less country. ;) What I really wished they had played is One Foot in Front of the Other, as it is probably my favourite or at least in my top three. But I did get to hear it last year so that's alright. Method Acting, Bowl of Oranges or Easy/Lucky/Free would have been nice to hear, but I was satisfied with the set list. I am sure tons of people wanted to hear Haligh, Haligh, A Lie, Haligh as well, but I am not a big fan of that song myself. A set list has not been posted but these are the others I remember: Poison Oak , Another Travellin' Song, An Attempt to Tip the Scales, Laura Lorent, Lua, Well Whiskey, Take it Easy (Love Nothing). They may have also played Train Under Water and We Are Free Men.

I was suprised with how interactive Conor was with the audience. Usually--and I am basing this on what I have heard as well as the last concert--he keeps to himself and does not say much to the crowd. But he seemed to be in a pretty good mood and even got us to sing alongt. At this point, actually, Sean and I could have sworn he looked right at me and said, "I can't see you!" when I wasn't singing. He could have been looking at anyone in the front rows, but it really did seem like he was looking at me. Because of the angle Conor was standing, Sean and I were pretty much face-to-face with him the entire night. We were not dead center, but we had eye contact with Conor, no doubt. I am sure, at some point, Conor looked at me and knew I was alive. Heh. The lighting made it hard to see exactly where he was looking, but you know that feeling you get when you think someone's eyes are on you? I got that feeling a couple of times. It was creepy but cool. I also noticed that a lot of people in the front row were being sprayed with Conor sweat and spit, and we were only four rows back. So yes, that should indicate how close we were.

At one point during the show, a boy yelled out to Conor, "Marry me!" And Conor said, "Okay!" And then, "Oh, yeah, I guess you guys can do that here [in Toronto], right? Back in my hometown that wouldn't fly." (Or something along those lines.) Bwaha.

The only complaint I have? Cameras. For whatever reason, they did not do a pat down or bag check at the entrance. And the security guards did not seem to mind that the majority of people had a camrea. Even before the show started people were taking pictures and the guards didn't bat an eyelash. I have read that Conor, though, is pro-taping and picture-taking at his concerts. So perhaps Conor requested that cameras be allowed during the concert. I have heard it is actually up to the band to make the call. I saw many people videotaping too. But the picture-taking was really annoying, especially when the lighting on stage was darker. I felt like I was going blind with the constant flashing. At times you forgot it was even there, because it was so constant, but most of the time I found it annoying and inconsiderate. But then, had I known I was allowed to bring a camera, I probably would have been taking a few too. (But not every two seconds like a lot of people seemed to be doing.) Being as close as we were, there would have been some great shots to post. *sniff*

Anyway, as I am sure is obvious by now, the concert was great and I enjoyed it. Does this change my no-concert policy? No. The usual panic and anxiety followed me, of course, so that is always exhausting to put up with. But even more to the point, most times it is not worth going to a concert. I have three or four band exceptions where I will go to see a concert, but even then, I now have an end-seat-or-floor-seat rule. From now on, no balconies. It is just not worth it, especially considering most bands now cost $50+ to see here, even indie bands.

So, there are our Radiohead tickets. We are literally four rows and a few seats away from being the furthest away anyone can be in the venue.

Total damage: $166 (two tickets)

I cannot believe I am paying that much for a seat in the bleachers. I did not even do that for Jann Arden. As much as I love and adore Radiohead, I would not being going had this not been planned with Sean already.

They are completely sold out now for their Toronto shows. I am guessing that happened in about three or four minutes, maybe less. The Montreal shows sold out in four.

Well, this blows. But at least we got tickets. If the two of us had not been on Ticketmaster at the same time (he was doing the Wednesday date and I was doing Thursday), we may not have because it kept telling me there were no seats that matched my request. It is a small venue too (3200 seats), so it might not be as bad as it looks/sounds.

P.S. Fuck you and fuck every idiot on eBay selling illegal tickets at six times the face value. I hope you get caught and charged. Disgusting pigs.

'Tis where we'll be at the Bright Eyes concert in June.

Great seats.

Total damage: $104.50 (for both).


Edit: Radiohead tickets for June 7th and 8th are $71.65 each. *shakes head*