OneRepublic's Native Canada Tour (with Lights) at the Air Canada Centre

How do you compare a OneRepublic concert to another? You can't. Quite possibly compare it to every other concert in existence!

I know it's very cliche to say, but OneRepublic has always been a first to create such a genre of this kind. I had this discussion with my friend last night at the concert how OneRepublic is the first big band to incorporate classical strings (the cello and violin) into a pop sound. It's similar to how Coldplay was one of the first to include piano into a rock sound (after the Beatles of course).

A band or artist needs to know how to recreate their performance if they want to keep their fans going. Their setlist was the same since it's the same album haha, but the changes they incorporated were insane! That's what I love about going to every single OneRepublic show played in Toronto! They're always reinventing and inspiring every time.

I saw them last June, but so much has changed from visual effects to the new sound added to their performances. Once again, I cannot explain how exciting they are live. You just have to go.

I'm embarrassed to say I'm unfamiliar with Lights' music other than what's on the radio now and one song from my early university days. She did have an appropriate opening set for OneRepublic. I was also surprised the band came on stage 8:43pm (usually it would be on a half or quarter of the clock) but I'm not complaining since they put on a great show! An all around great evening, I even have a bruise on my quad to prove it! The two seats on my left wound up vacant since those folks never showed. I had floor seats, and throughout the dancing, the row behind pushed forward excitedly at one point during the later half of the concert. The fold over chair caught me on an angle and fell on my leg. On my way out of the ACC into Union, we kept singing, "If I *bruise* myself tonight, it'll be at a OneRepublic concert but by your side!" =)

setlist:
Don't Look Down
Light It Up
Secrets
All the Right Moves
What You Wanted
Stop and Stare
Something I Need
Apologize
Stay With Me (Sam Smith cover)
Budapest (George Ezra cover)
Preacher
Good Life
Counting Stars
Can't Stop
Au Revoir
Feel Again
I Lived

encore:
Love Runs Out
What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong cover)
If I Lose Myself

Josh Groban at the Air Canada Centre!

Since I was 13, I've been a fan of this man for so long. I purchased tickets with my friend Linda back in early May and we knew this was a concert to look forward to together.

I remember when one time I was at Sherway Gardens one weekend and Josh Groban did a mall tour. I recall him being surrounded by a MASSIVE pool of women outside the Bay entrance wing. I remember liking his music when my dad would play Andrea Bocelli's CD in the car and then switched it over to Josh Groban. Afterwards, David Foster found Josh Groban and helped him on is way.

I've been a fan ever since, and last night was also my first time seeing him in concert. It was magnificent, to say the least. Josh's voice is so powerful and his music touches so many people's lives.

Judith Hill was also opening up for Josh Groban on tour! I knew back in August when she was announced and was looking forward to hearing her sing live. I've also been a fan of Judith ever since she sang at Michael Jackson's funeral. I knew her afterwards as one of Josh Groban's back up singers when I saw her in his music video "Brave" and a few of his live TV appearances.

During the concert, she also did a meet and greet following her opening, just before Josh took the stage. She was very sweet and humble when she met with fans. I got her autograph and I can feel that she was happy to meet so many fans during her first visit to Toronto.

People who buy the VIP ticket packages and sit on the floor seat, they get the opportunity to have a meet and greet with Josh and his band. Josh also asks them to write questions down with a their seat number for the chance to have him randomly read it during the concert. He picked three questions and the first one was from a young girl who said she has seen him three times in concert (lucky girl!) Her next question was whether or not there is an artist or band he admires that he too sees on more than one occasion. I totally forgot what his answer was HAHA but his third question completely stole the show. It was from a guy named Todd attending the concert with his girlfriend. He said that his girlfriend really loves his music and if there was a possibility Josh could come over and help him ask her a question. Josh ran over with the mic to his seat and Todd proposed to his girlfriend in front of everybody in the stadium! It was amazing to watch and I even told my friend Linda I just became a believer that chivalry is not dead.

Nearing the end of the concert, Judith came back on stage to sing "The Prayer" with Josh. It put my friend Linda to tears, and she told me once her mom got very ill a long time ago. This song was the one that that made her feel better and have hope to getting better. Josh Groban really does touch lives with his music in so many ways =')

Here is the Toronto setlist he played:
1. Brave
2. False Alarms
3. February Song
4. Un Alma Mas
5. Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)
6. Alla Luce
7. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
8. Sincera
9. Remember When It Rained (featuring Judith)
10. The whole band jam for a bit, Christian Hebel starts with Aerosmith's "Dream On" on his violin
11. Voce Existe Em Mim
12. To Where You Are
13. She Moved Through the Fair
14. The Prayer (featuring Judith again)
15. I Believe (When I Fall in Love it Will Be Forever) by Stevie Wonder
ENCORE
16. You Raise Me Up
17. Smile by Charlie Chaplin

Muse at the Air Canada Centre

Seeing Muse last night at the Air Canada Centre brought back high school memories of when I would listen to their music. Their new stuff has changed from what I remember, but reliving all their albums in one night was a lot of fun!

Milosz is a big fan and has been to their concerts before, so I was happy he asked me to go with him once his friend was unable to attend.

I made sure to text message my friend Tina before the show, who is also a big fan. She said the same thing as me, their new stuff isn't quite what it used to be, but it is still good.

Their opening band was this heavy rock band called Band of Skulls, who are from Ireland. Milosz and I came in the middle of their set, which isn't the kind of music I'd normally listen to. It was more of the thrash, rock genre; not my kind of music. They did well though for the ticket holders on the main floor. From my seat, I could tell they were having a lot of fun and enjoying the rock experience.

Since I am a sucker for classics, my favourite song was played during the encore part of their set. Before Muse returned to the stage, the audience knew what song they wanted to play. Everybody in the stadium turned their flashlights on their smart phones to make the whole stadium look like stars in the night sky. Yes, my favourite Muse song is, 'Starlight'. Definitely had a lot of fun last night =)