Take That Live 2015 Tour (with Ella Henderson) at The O2, June 9th 2015

I can't believe a month ago today, I saw one of my longtime favourite pop bands at The O2; an arena I've always wanted to visit for a show. I've been outside The O2 twice in previous years before, but this is the first time I bought a ticket for a performance =) To say it lived up to my expectations is an understatement. This was my first evening of my travels flying out of Toronto and into London. I was severely sleep deprived due to the nature of working straight shifts, including the day of my flight. It all worked out since it kept my body awake to the timezone.

The concert was phenomenal and Ella Henderson did a wonderful job! All of her songs from her opener, except "Ghost", were something new for me to hear. It's nice she also takes part in writing some of her material. I wish her album was available at the souvenir section, but that's why Steve Jobs created iTunes ;). Her voice is versatile, and most solo singers with natural talent rarely get good songs to showcase their sound. I really did admire her vocals and hope she's able to come over to Canada in the near future.

set list:
Glow
Pieces
Mirror Man
Empire
Yours
Rockets
Billie Holiday
Ghosts

I have two Take That tour DVDs; Beautiful World Tour, my sister's favourite since it was the comeback and Circus Tour, which is my favourite because it's the last one with all four of them before Robbie Williams ruined everything.

The set for this tour was diverse, even though this is the only tour I've seen live. A lot of what was incorporated was inspired from previous music videos and live performances. The buskers who opened after Ella wore the outfits from memorable songs ranging from the early 90's into the present. It was a good tribute, especially since it's now three members remaining (I hate you Robbie Williams; you could've left in peace but you had to take Jason Orange down as well).

Once again, there's a lot I liked about the set; "Shine" was performed in its original format with the sparkles and suits, "The Garden" was an underwater experience, "Relight My Fire" used fans as a part of rhythm in choreography and "Back for Good" was done on stools! Mark made a point after introducing the rest of the band it was their second night at The O2 and this would be their second time officially performing in the original form, sitting on stools. I honestly can't wait until the tour DVD comes out. I saw posters all over Belfast and Dublin that a live telecast would happen in the theatres June 19 of Take That at the O2, so I'm hoping they use it for their tour DVD!

set list:
I Like It
Love Love
Greatest Day
Get Ready For It
Hold Up a Light
Patience
The Garden
Up All Night
Said It All
Could It Be Magic
Let in the Sun
Affirmation
The Flood
Flaws
Relight My Fire
Back for Good
Pray
Portrait
These Days
Rule the World
Shine
Never Forget



Side note: Right when I entered the O2, I circled around to our gate and saw Donovan their drummer walking in my direction before the show! I wanted to give him a hello but his cellphone rang. My friend thought I was crazy until the mid-way through the show Gary, Howard and Mark introduced the band members one by one and she saw Don's face on the jumbo screen. Yep, NOT crazy!

I'll organize the remainder of my trip in entries mainly by day. Of course, people will like to see more pictures than text, so I'll work on that as well! I now end this with the lovely Mexican food I ate outside The O2 before the show =)

The Script's No Sound Without Silence Tour (with Colton Avery and Mary Lambert) at Massey Hall

I got to see The Script last night and couldn't have been more excited to see them again! There wasn't much promotion for their North American tour, especially since I didn't think Canadian dates were included.

I went with my friend Sami, who also was the same person who introduced me to their music way back when their first album was released. Following that, I've been to all four of their Toronto performances to date =)

The opening acts they had were also a nice surprise, especially since they weren't listed on our tickets. They brought along Colton Avery, a small artist they discovered from Phoenix, and Mary Lambert. Both of them did four songs each and they put on a great show. Mary did a bit of her piece from Macklemore's 'Same Love' and I especially enjoyed her slam poetry style song where she expressed society's perception of a women's beauty/body image today. It was very moving and we definitely gave her a standing ovation.

I always have a great time seeing The Script live because they're always fun and passionate about their music. Of course, this time around was better because they finally had new material to perform. In some of their old songs, like 'Nothing', Danny did his usual with calling a fan's ex. This time around, Danny said it was his first time ever calling a female. A fan in the front gave her phone to Danny with Chantel in the caller ID. It was funny to see. Once 'You Won't Feel a Thing' came on, Danny actually came up to centre balcony, where we were seated, and hung out with us for the song! All in all, it was a great concert. The only downfall was this was my first time at Massey Hall. We really wanted our space to dance around but it is an old theatre venue. Can't wait for them to come back to play again!
set list:
Paint the Town Green
Hail Rain or Sunshine (shortened, wish it was longer!)
Breakeven
Before the Worst
Superheroes
We Cry (shortened version)
If You Could See Me Now
Man on a Wire
Nothing
Good Ol' Days
Never Seen Anything "Quite Like You"
The Man Who Can't be Moved (acoustic set)
You Won't Feel a Thing
Six Degrees of Separation (I believe they cut this from their set. I would've remembered this!)
It's Not Right for You

encore:
The Energy Never Dies
For the First Time
No Good in Goodbye
Hall of Fame

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

OneRepublic's Native Tour (with American Authors and The Script) at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

Unbelievable! That’s the one word I can use to describe this weekend’s Native Summer tour. Seeing all my favourite bands (sans Royal Teeth) was a great kick off to the new summer season!

The show opened up with American Authors playing seven tracks from their Oh, What a Life album, and I’m so glad to see their progression as a band since they first performed in Toronto at the Drake. The guys were on point with their set and had a lot of fun with the crowd. Part way through, Zac had one of the crew say in his earpiece that the US just scored a goal against Portugal LOL He kept having to justify to us Canadians that Americans actually do care about the world cup =P It was a good laugh, plus I got an update on the game without using my cellular data.

set list:
Think About It
Luck
Believer
Home
Trouble
Hit It
Best Day of my Life

The Script, who are my favourite mainstream band, came on stage after and it was like reliving their concert two October’s ago for their Science and Faith tour when they released their #3 album. They performed nine of their famous singles and at one point, Danny called a fan’s ex-boyfriend during ‘Nothing’ (that’s what they do at all their shows). He saw the guy’s name on the phone and yelled, “His name is PATRICK?! Oh he’s definitely Irish! What did he do to screw up? LET’S FIND OUT!” Danny also ran all the way to the back to sing ‘You Won’t Feel a Thing’ to the audience in the lawn area.
set list:
Good Ol’ Days
Before the Worst
Breakeven
We Cry
The Man Who Can’t Be Moved
Nothing
For The First Time
You Won’t Feel a Thing
Hall Of Fame

OneRepublic definitely know how to put a show together. This is why I get excited when they come to Toronto!  Back in June 2008, they first came to the city and that happened to be my first time saving up for my first concert ever. I remember the tickets being $30 and going with a group of good friends. This time, I went with a smaller group of friends and met up with my friend Michelle, who I ALWAYS see at all the big concerts I attend. We decided we need better communication and just attend together from now on. OneRepublic really changed their sound through the years but always remained consistent. I love that about them (just like Coldplay) and they experiment well with different sounds/instruments. Their set was a combination of all their albums (of course) but the mixture was excellent since they knew when to slow down their songs, mix up their instruments and make songs acoustic. Their final song during the encore couldn’t be more perfect.

My favourite single off their Native album was always ‘If I Lose Myself’ but I remember it never got enough radio play when it was released (not like ‘Counting Stars’ does). At the time, I caught it twice on the Toronto radio stations and never heard it again. I remember Aloe Black and Avicii released ‘Don’t Wake Me Up’ and Swedish House Mafia announced their One Last Tour around the same timeframe that summer.

OneRepublic’s track was overshadowed by this tour and I think nobody knew about their new album as well as I did in the city. The familiarity between the genre would overlap well, but I guess SHM knew what they were doing with advertising themselves as best they could to sell out their tour. Anyway, their final song ‘If I Lose Myself’ was insane! I can’t explain properly how well they did it, but they changed it up by adding dance beats from the Alesso mix and added percussions to it! This was a fantastic blend, especially since American Authors always use their snare drum up front in their shows. Again, it was remarkable and I can’t even explain how wonderful this experience was. I can’t wait until the next time they come back to Toronto. Hopefully I’m not waiting another eight years to see them in Toronto once again!
setlist:
Light It Up
Secrets
All The Right Moves
What You Wanted
Stop And Stare
Something I Need
Apologize
Rude (Magic cover)
Preacher
Come Home
Counting Stars
Can’t Stop
Au Revoir
Feel Again
Good Life
I Lived

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

MisterWives, American Authors and The Royal Concept at Virgin MobileMOD Club

What a nice surprise! Shows like these are the reason why I enjoy diving into new music without a preconceived idea of their sound. It's a big chance of whether or not I enjoy the music, but it was definitely a nice discovery last night.

I knew about the American Authors from back when they opened for Royal Teeth at the beginning of June. That was the only band I was familiar with and my reason for purchasing a ticket to last night's Three of Clubs Fall Tour. They've gotten so much exposure ever since (i.e.: they made an appearance on Jay Leno's Late Show last month and radio show appearances on non-show dates).

The band brought Queens, New York based MisterWives and Swedish band The Royal Concept to my attention. I didn't know I've heard The Royal Concept's music before in passing (they have their popular song "On Our Way" out at the moment) but now I know who they are! Both bands have upbeat music with an eclectic and alternative twist, kind of like American Authors (who are more alternative and upbeat). I would describe MisterWives as bubbly and refreshing. The lead singer Mandy has fantastic vocals with a gorgeous rasp and wide range.

I bought all their EP's with the exception of MisterWives (who releases theirs in January) and now have new music to enjoy!

 

MisterWives; William, Murph, Mandy, Etienne, Dr. Blum and Marc

 

American Authors; James, Zac, Dave and Matt in the back.

 

The Royal Concept; Filip, David, Povel and Magnus.

David was awesome and wrote "Grattis på födelsedagen" [Happy Birthday in Swedish] for me across the top haha

The Paper Kites at Horseshoe Tavern

About two months ago, my two best friends Stacey and Nicole agreed we would go see this new Australian band. We purchased tickets back in the summertime when we knew our fall and winter would be jam packed.

The Paper Kites are an indie folk band, and they aren't what I'd stumble into on a whim. A lot of the songs they performed were mellow and slow. I found it somewhat depressing because they hit the stage at about 10:30pm and the old person in me was really sleepy. A couple of their songs were alright and I think I'll look them up on iTunes tomorrow. Again, their music genre wasn't exactly my taste but I will give it another shot with the songs I did enjoy. 

Halfway through, I was able to make my way a couple steps through the crowd and not have to view the band through other people's smart phones.

All in all, last night was fun with my two best friends =)

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

Ivan & Alyosha at The Garrison

I'm so happy that I went to this show on a whim. My friend Stacey had a house warming party at her new place with Dana, so I made sure to swing by before heading to the show downtown. I was recommended to this band by my friend Chloe. Their sound is very mellow and calming. I guess you can say they are an indie band but their music is catchy and easy to sing a long to.

I couldn't resist, I had to buy their CD. The band was nice enough to sign it for me and I appreciated it so much. They've been through a lot, having their band equipment stolen back in Atlanta. I'm glad to see the previous band they've toured with lent them all their gear to complete the remainder of the tour. I can't believe people car-jack an entire van full of band equipment, it's awful!

The spirit of Ivan & Alyosha is comforting to witness. When a band sticks together to play their music, it shows their fans to never give up and to keep on going on. More artists and bands should be like them =).

American Authors and Royal Teeth at The Drake

I last saw Royal Teeth when they opened for The Rocket Summer at the end of March at the MOD Club. When I heard they were coming back to Toronto, I couldn't pass this up.

They brought Brooklyn based band American Authors along to open up for them. Too bad they did not have their EP recorded and ready for this show (they told us they are still producing it). It was a lot of fun with drums and guitar embedded in their music. Their sound is different than Royal Teeth though.

Royal Teeth has a more upbeat melodic tempo to their sound with Nora's voice (one of the lead singers). When I first heard them sing at the MOD Club, I was moved by her and Gary's singing voice. I can't explain it, you need to see them life or her their music when they release their CD. This show was a lot of fun, and both bands put on such a great show!

As you can very well tell form my pictures, I was in the front the whole time.

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 =)

Mika at The Opera House

I actually scored tickets to Mika's sold out show! There were people selling tickets on stubhub.com and my guess was they suddenly couldn't make it to the show. I found $10 tickets! Stacey was happy to join me last night and we had a great time!

Max and Curtis (his band mates) DJayed beats to open up the show. They did that for about 15-20 minutes to get the crowd excited. Mika just put on a great show and he played straight!I absolutely love him, he is my favourite artist of all time him and Josh Groban are tied for number one). I call him my male icon... that's why I call him my guycon =P I feel like he needs to play bigger venues whenhe comes to Canada, but I understand he has a bigger fan base in Europe. It`s too bad he only did one date and is in Montreal today. If he did two Toronto shows back-to-back, I would've searched for another pair of tickets on Stub Hub!

This is the part where I tell you all that this Tuesday, I am going to *drum roll* see Muse! I only found out yesterday. My friend Milosz has tickets and his friend couldn't make it (I know what that's like haha) so he saw me and asked if I'd be interested. That's this Tuesday and I am so pumped for it! I'm doing a concert every week like a crazy person lol I can get used to this and make my life revolve around this.