Retrospective Concert Reviews, 11/06 - 02/07.
Part of my procrastination sensation series:
These are short reviews of the shows I've been to November 2006 to present (February 2007). Includes: Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Billy Talent, and Patrick Watson.
///Panic! At the Disco @ Ricoh Coliseum November 19th, 2006.///
Oh the Drama. But you should have blown a kiss at the audience.
As a concert venue, Ricoh should only be experienced from general floor seats. The sides of the arena, due to its small size, provide harsher angles for you to view the band in contrast to the Air Canada Center. Through a crowd of young fans who've never been in a pit before I was able to grab a fabulous spot about 3 people from the stage, left-side, in front of guitarist Ryan Ross. The opening bands were Plain White Tee's (pretty generic punk-indie), and Jack's Mannequin (a group with its own underground following of female fans). Both were energetic, but Panic! really took the show.
Panic's band members were dressed up somewhere between gypsies and beggar boys from Oliver Twist. Elaborate make-up and stage performers made a dramatic entrance. Brendon Urie had pretty powerful pipes in addition to his over-the-top stage persona and suggestive interplay between himself and Ryan Ross. The stage performers put on small skits, drag shows, bondage scenes, burlesque peek-shows, a wedding, and various other interesting acts. However the parents in the audience probably felt they had taken their kids to the wrong show - considering the sheer level of tit- and ass-tastic fleshery gallivanting on stage. Well geez, a few of the songs are just about fucking, are you really that surprised?
The band did two covers, "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles, and "Killer Queen" by Queen. On their previous headlining tour they played "Karma Police" by Radiohead and "Tonight, Tonight" by The Smashing Pumpkins, displaying their obvious affiliation with the early generation "Y", those born in the 80's. Generally speaking I'm a big fan of Panic's covers because Urie's voice is so bold that he often puts a new sound or spin to the song, even before you consider the actual music modifications.
Brendon Urie is an excellent front-man, however, Ryan Ross and Jonathan Walker stark comparisons and will do little more then walk around their designated area. Smith is an energetic and fun-to-watch drummer, but his set was high above the band on a riser so you could barely keep your eyes on him because of all the interesting stuff happening at the front. Overall the guys put on a great performance, but in general they seem very cold with the audience. Even if the show is set up like an act, Urie's blatant disregard for the audience at the end of the show, with little more then a "goodbye", was not a great finish.
Panic! has played far fewer small, dirt-hole shows with hard-core early fans then they should have and it's obvious that the audience interaction is lacking because of it. I recommend this show to anyone who loves theatrics, burlesque or circus themes, and tunes that are dancy, sexy, and sinister.
///Fall Out Boy @ Kool Haus January 14th, 2007.///
"Thanks for the memories, even though they weren't so great"
This was a special small-venue tour so seeing the band at the Kool Haus was a treat. Fall Out Boy is also famous for their fans, who bring the show to a ridiculous level of pit anger, fan-bitch fights, and zombie-like behavior to eat the brains and genetalia of front-man Pete Wentz. Yeah, I'm not joking.
Their opening bands, Early November and Permanent Me weren't memorable, but at that point the crowd started to get a little rowdy. New Found Glory I believe is the most loved opening band I've seen in my life. Their hard-core fans broke out from the shadows and trampled every female and skinny boy they could find, climbing over us, under us, and having a great time.
Fall Out Boy's set did not live up to their insane rock-out status. They were pretty mellow compared to other concert footage I've seen. Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz, easily the two most popular of the band, had their hoods up so you couldn't really see their faces. Wentz, who seemed less enthusiastic then usual, still continued his reputation of being the talker of the group, putting in a few words to promote female performers because the music genre is overshadowed with males.
The best songs of the show included a few of their hits on their album (at that point not yet released) Infinity on High; "Thriller" and "The Take's Over, The Break's Over", and their huge hit "Dance, Dance". The crowd had high energy, but it was partially used to push down the smaller kids and climb over people in hopes of touching the "decadent" Wentz. Overall the show was an experience, but their live audio is nothing special in comparison to their recordings. I recommend this show if you like the energy of a hard-core crowd and don't mind being stepped on. If you're small or not-powerful, prepare for sore ribs and backs. I was out for a few days due to that, but sometimes it's worth it.
The release of Fall Out Boy's new album is being followed by an arena tour which is safer for the young kids and parents, but does little to fuel the punk-garage-band image that sticks with these guys. I won't be attending due to prior engagements, but their new material is worth checking out. It has a little less of the traditional punk style of pounding on their instruments.
///Billy Talent @ Air Canada Center February 2nd, 2007.///
You are never alone.
(Note: These tickets were given to me, free, and had I not received them, I would not have purchased them. Not because the band was bad, in fact it's a venue issue.)
It was not clear to me that Billy Talent is a punk genre band. The openers were surprising in their political outbursts and calls for unity among the youth. I didn't know promoting social movements was still in style.
Openers consisted of Moneen (a local group that was melodic-punk, if there is such a thing), Anti-Flag (an energetic hard-core band that had the most provoking comments) and Rise Against (a more typical punk sounding band). Anti-Flag stood out for their blatant comments against President George Bush, promoting the unity of youth, and telling the audience to reach for their dreams.
Billy Talent was truly a force in the giant stadium. I was impressed they filled the Air Canada Center, but the entire audience seemed quite at home with the band, shouting their lyrics and fist-pumping to the heavier songs. I found myself getting caught up in the energy and rocked out harder then the teenage boys behind me. Billy Talent was loud and angry, but inspirational. During a particular song "Nothing To Lose", which has always been one of the saddest I've ever heard, they told the audience to hold up their lighters and cell phones. It was like seeing a starry sky indoors. They then said that we should remember that we're never alone, a statement that hit home during the song about a youth committing suicide.
Overall the show was big and lived up to the massive stadium. These men are proud Canadians who voiced their hatred of war and of President George Bush. Although I am still not a huge fan of Billy Talent, I walked away from that concert thinking about things different. Not only because of what the bands said, but because of the audience's and my own reactions. Viva la punch of the punk genre.
///Patrick Watson @ Rivoli February 18th, 2007.///
Lean your head back and coast on the wave.
I had found out about this artist/band about 5 hours before the show. I had been invited by a good friend and decided to check out the website to determine if I was interested. The band's site (www.patrickwatson.net) is one of the most beautiful and mesmerizing I've seem, with intricate animation in the album environments. After browsing the music, I gave it the ok and proceeded to the show.
Patrick Watson and his band usually play ticket venues, but Rivoli is a pay-at-the-door kind of place. Most of the audience appeared to be underground fans of various ages, ranging from just legal to older and balding.
Their set was casual, accompanied by random technical difficulties and the sound of glass bottles breaking at the bar. The band is full of gadgets to help create the unique sounds used on their tracks. Patrick Watson's voice is like an echo, and it carried throughout the room like a soothing wave. They did an acoustic piece with an actual accordion which was beautiful because the room had to be completely silent for them to accomplish this. Being such a small venue (though packed full, sold-out) it gave a really intimate atmosphere, and with Patrick smiling so wide you'd think everything was right in the world. Some of their music had a haunting quality to it which boosted the night from good to amazing.
Patrick Watson has the quality and persona to go very big, so I found it an honor to see him while still relatively unknown. Overall great set, and some nice guys. I greatly recommend them to those fans of Danny Elfman compositions because of the echo-like, haunting quality.
*** *** ***
Just a note, this is the first entry, though not the planned first article. I felt like this would be a good place to but this retrospective review. Edit or comment if you wish. I'm currently working on one about racial-style-classifications being broken down through hybridity; youth agency in fashion. *thumbs up*
These are short reviews of the shows I've been to November 2006 to present (February 2007). Includes: Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Billy Talent, and Patrick Watson.
///Panic! At the Disco @ Ricoh Coliseum November 19th, 2006.///
Oh the Drama. But you should have blown a kiss at the audience.
As a concert venue, Ricoh should only be experienced from general floor seats. The sides of the arena, due to its small size, provide harsher angles for you to view the band in contrast to the Air Canada Center. Through a crowd of young fans who've never been in a pit before I was able to grab a fabulous spot about 3 people from the stage, left-side, in front of guitarist Ryan Ross. The opening bands were Plain White Tee's (pretty generic punk-indie), and Jack's Mannequin (a group with its own underground following of female fans). Both were energetic, but Panic! really took the show.
Panic's band members were dressed up somewhere between gypsies and beggar boys from Oliver Twist. Elaborate make-up and stage performers made a dramatic entrance. Brendon Urie had pretty powerful pipes in addition to his over-the-top stage persona and suggestive interplay between himself and Ryan Ross. The stage performers put on small skits, drag shows, bondage scenes, burlesque peek-shows, a wedding, and various other interesting acts. However the parents in the audience probably felt they had taken their kids to the wrong show - considering the sheer level of tit- and ass-tastic fleshery gallivanting on stage. Well geez, a few of the songs are just about fucking, are you really that surprised?
The band did two covers, "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles, and "Killer Queen" by Queen. On their previous headlining tour they played "Karma Police" by Radiohead and "Tonight, Tonight" by The Smashing Pumpkins, displaying their obvious affiliation with the early generation "Y", those born in the 80's. Generally speaking I'm a big fan of Panic's covers because Urie's voice is so bold that he often puts a new sound or spin to the song, even before you consider the actual music modifications.
Brendon Urie is an excellent front-man, however, Ryan Ross and Jonathan Walker stark comparisons and will do little more then walk around their designated area. Smith is an energetic and fun-to-watch drummer, but his set was high above the band on a riser so you could barely keep your eyes on him because of all the interesting stuff happening at the front. Overall the guys put on a great performance, but in general they seem very cold with the audience. Even if the show is set up like an act, Urie's blatant disregard for the audience at the end of the show, with little more then a "goodbye", was not a great finish.
Panic! has played far fewer small, dirt-hole shows with hard-core early fans then they should have and it's obvious that the audience interaction is lacking because of it. I recommend this show to anyone who loves theatrics, burlesque or circus themes, and tunes that are dancy, sexy, and sinister.
///Fall Out Boy @ Kool Haus January 14th, 2007.///
"Thanks for the memories, even though they weren't so great"
This was a special small-venue tour so seeing the band at the Kool Haus was a treat. Fall Out Boy is also famous for their fans, who bring the show to a ridiculous level of pit anger, fan-bitch fights, and zombie-like behavior to eat the brains and genetalia of front-man Pete Wentz. Yeah, I'm not joking.
Their opening bands, Early November and Permanent Me weren't memorable, but at that point the crowd started to get a little rowdy. New Found Glory I believe is the most loved opening band I've seen in my life. Their hard-core fans broke out from the shadows and trampled every female and skinny boy they could find, climbing over us, under us, and having a great time.
Fall Out Boy's set did not live up to their insane rock-out status. They were pretty mellow compared to other concert footage I've seen. Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz, easily the two most popular of the band, had their hoods up so you couldn't really see their faces. Wentz, who seemed less enthusiastic then usual, still continued his reputation of being the talker of the group, putting in a few words to promote female performers because the music genre is overshadowed with males.
The best songs of the show included a few of their hits on their album (at that point not yet released) Infinity on High; "Thriller" and "The Take's Over, The Break's Over", and their huge hit "Dance, Dance". The crowd had high energy, but it was partially used to push down the smaller kids and climb over people in hopes of touching the "decadent" Wentz. Overall the show was an experience, but their live audio is nothing special in comparison to their recordings. I recommend this show if you like the energy of a hard-core crowd and don't mind being stepped on. If you're small or not-powerful, prepare for sore ribs and backs. I was out for a few days due to that, but sometimes it's worth it.
The release of Fall Out Boy's new album is being followed by an arena tour which is safer for the young kids and parents, but does little to fuel the punk-garage-band image that sticks with these guys. I won't be attending due to prior engagements, but their new material is worth checking out. It has a little less of the traditional punk style of pounding on their instruments.
///Billy Talent @ Air Canada Center February 2nd, 2007.///
You are never alone.
(Note: These tickets were given to me, free, and had I not received them, I would not have purchased them. Not because the band was bad, in fact it's a venue issue.)
It was not clear to me that Billy Talent is a punk genre band. The openers were surprising in their political outbursts and calls for unity among the youth. I didn't know promoting social movements was still in style.
Openers consisted of Moneen (a local group that was melodic-punk, if there is such a thing), Anti-Flag (an energetic hard-core band that had the most provoking comments) and Rise Against (a more typical punk sounding band). Anti-Flag stood out for their blatant comments against President George Bush, promoting the unity of youth, and telling the audience to reach for their dreams.
Billy Talent was truly a force in the giant stadium. I was impressed they filled the Air Canada Center, but the entire audience seemed quite at home with the band, shouting their lyrics and fist-pumping to the heavier songs. I found myself getting caught up in the energy and rocked out harder then the teenage boys behind me. Billy Talent was loud and angry, but inspirational. During a particular song "Nothing To Lose", which has always been one of the saddest I've ever heard, they told the audience to hold up their lighters and cell phones. It was like seeing a starry sky indoors. They then said that we should remember that we're never alone, a statement that hit home during the song about a youth committing suicide.
Overall the show was big and lived up to the massive stadium. These men are proud Canadians who voiced their hatred of war and of President George Bush. Although I am still not a huge fan of Billy Talent, I walked away from that concert thinking about things different. Not only because of what the bands said, but because of the audience's and my own reactions. Viva la punch of the punk genre.
///Patrick Watson @ Rivoli February 18th, 2007.///
Lean your head back and coast on the wave.
I had found out about this artist/band about 5 hours before the show. I had been invited by a good friend and decided to check out the website to determine if I was interested. The band's site (www.patrickwatson.net) is one of the most beautiful and mesmerizing I've seem, with intricate animation in the album environments. After browsing the music, I gave it the ok and proceeded to the show.
Patrick Watson and his band usually play ticket venues, but Rivoli is a pay-at-the-door kind of place. Most of the audience appeared to be underground fans of various ages, ranging from just legal to older and balding.
Their set was casual, accompanied by random technical difficulties and the sound of glass bottles breaking at the bar. The band is full of gadgets to help create the unique sounds used on their tracks. Patrick Watson's voice is like an echo, and it carried throughout the room like a soothing wave. They did an acoustic piece with an actual accordion which was beautiful because the room had to be completely silent for them to accomplish this. Being such a small venue (though packed full, sold-out) it gave a really intimate atmosphere, and with Patrick smiling so wide you'd think everything was right in the world. Some of their music had a haunting quality to it which boosted the night from good to amazing.
Patrick Watson has the quality and persona to go very big, so I found it an honor to see him while still relatively unknown. Overall great set, and some nice guys. I greatly recommend them to those fans of Danny Elfman compositions because of the echo-like, haunting quality.
*** *** ***
Just a note, this is the first entry, though not the planned first article. I felt like this would be a good place to but this retrospective review. Edit or comment if you wish. I'm currently working on one about racial-style-classifications being broken down through hybridity; youth agency in fashion. *thumbs up*