Ra Ra Riot - Secret show at the Mod Club on Aug 30th

I selfishly invited myself along to a Ra Ra Riot’s secret last night. My friend Martin was kind enough to share his spare ticket with me. (I kinda insisted that I have to go! Thanks Martin!) Ra Ra Riot just released their second album; “The Orchard” - this show was for Toronto fans that purchased it at record stores. I have listened to the new record prior to the show. Their first album was full of catchy songs - the second album sounded a little mellower. I think it will grow on me after listening to a couple of times. 

After 15 minutes of delay, the band finally opened up the gig with songs from a new album. What I found very interesting about this band was that I was so attracted by both violinist and cellist. When I go to shows, I tend to pay more attention to the lead singer or the drummer, following them with my eyes wherever they go. However, for this band, I couldn't take my eyes off from violinist and cellist. It wasn't just because they were extremely hot, but also they added extra spice to the taste of the show - very melodic atmosphere on the stage was created by these two players. 

Despite the interesting tones created by both typical rock instruments and the atypical classical instruments; I have to say, the first half of the performance was very dragging. I was checking the clock several times to see if the tic of the clock has even made a big movement. I think what caused it was the lack of great tunes from the second album. They did not mix songs between two albums and they played lots of songs from the second album, which contain more mellow songs. The lead singer even mentioned that the Torontonian crowed is very attentive, focusing on every details during the show. 

The Second half of the show was very enjoyable despite the disappointing of the first half. They added more rhythmical tunes from the first album-which were more familiar to my ears and kept me dancing throughout the second half of the show. Overall though, the performance was very attention grabbing and fun to watch to study the every moment that they created on the stage. However, it would be great to see if they have more songs that keep the audience entertained for the entire show.

BLUE RODEO LIVE @ the Molson Amphitheatre AUGUST 26th 2010

I can always claim that my first concert ever was a Blue Rodeo show when I was about four years old. Even back then they were my favorite band. Sharon, Lois, and Bram had nothing on Blue Rodeo. I’ve always felt some sort of connection to their music. It just feels like home – reminds me of everything I love. Maybe it’s because they formed in the year I was born (1984 baby) and both my mom and I have owned and/or played every one of their releases since their 1987 debut “Outskirts”.

Maybe it’s just because they are just that damn good. They are one of Canada’s most successful and lasting bands; with 12 studio albums, 3 live recordings, and a greatest hits package. The band isn’t riding on nostalgia either – their latest release, 2009’s “The Things We Left Behind” is one of their best albums. It is both haunting and beautiful with songs crafted to remain in your head for days; but they don’t sacrifice good writing for the sake of a pop song – these songs actually mean something.

In a world of disposable computer pop music; it is really wonderful to see a real band like Blue Rodeo live. This is about my 9th time seeing them; and yes - I do count that first time when I was four years old.

Opening with some lesser known gems the band started into their set and was greeted with a warm response from their hometown crowd. One thing with Blue Rodeo concerts has always been their unpredictability. I’ve liked nearly every Blue Rodeo song I’ve ever heard – but not every song they write is going to be a hit. Some shows, the band delves deep into their expansive catalogue and others they stick to the radio friendly picks for the casual fan. Last night’s show was a great mix of both! They played new their new hits “Don’t let the darkness in your head” and “All the things that are left behind”; a few forgotten gems; and of course classics like “Try”, “Diamond Mine” (my personal favorite since I was only 8 years old), “Trust Yourself”, “Heart Like Mine”, and “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet”.

I could go on forever with that list. The hits kept coming. After more than 25 years of playing some of those songs the band still plays them with the same enthusiasm they had when I saw them play so many years ago. It’s always really wonderful to see a band that actually loves their music as much as the fans do. Jim Cuddy (one half of the vocal duo – the other being Greg Keelor) said before their encore “We do have fun, don’t we?” The crowd roared its appreciation.

I wished it could last forever – I always do – but the show did have to come to an end eventually. They closed with a truly heartfelt classic “Lost Together”. With my lady on my arm, the truth rings eternal in that chorus. “If we’re lost – then we are lost together”. What a beautiful lyric to end such a beautiful night. I cannot wait to welcome them back next year and we’ll all get lost together in the music like we do every year.

The Artful Vandelays are playing tonight with The Eaton, EX~PO, and Electric Karma at the Silver Dollar Room!

Happy Thursday Music Psychos! What's up, what's up?

I am also pretty excited about Fake Prom tomorrow! I have my costume ready! (I've put it together a "sexy" one lol) I am soo excited! If you are going to participate in the most regal Torontonian party this summer, come say hello!

A quick announcement to make this morning!!! If you are getting ready to pre-party tonight for the last weekend in August and don't have any plans yet ( Seriously where the summer went!?), The Artful Vandelays are playing tonight with The Eaton, EX~PO, and Electric Karma at the Silver Dollar Room! The doors open at 8:45, cover is only $6.00! Their new EP will be available at the show and also through their MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/theartfulvandelays

 This show is gonna be their last with their lead guitarist Jon! Jon is going to Ottawa to pursue his law studies; so don't miss out tonight as it’s the last time you’ll get to hear his sweeping and beautiful guitar! Also; Anton, the lead singer will offer quick hair styling tips to everyone who will be there :) …well, that's what he said to me lol

The details are below and I am extremely excited about the show! I will see you guys later on tonight! 

 Location:

Silver Dollar Room

486 Spadina Ave
Toronto, ON

Lollapalooza review Top 10 No.1 Pheonix

After writing 10 posts about the Chicago's biggest music festival this summer, Lollapalooza; finally it is time to announce the number 1 live show review. I am pretty sure that I had missed various great performances at Lolla due to the scheduling conflict. However, I am so happy to finally announce the number one, da la da la da la....... Phoenix!!!

"Phoenix!?"- this is the reaction that I got from my coworker when I told him that it was the best performance. He knew that I went to see the Strokes, and Mutmath. Yes, I am 100% confident to say that their performance was outstanding and it brought me back to the very first point where I found my love in music.

French pop rock band, Phoenix, was to close the second day of the Lollapalooza, while Greenday was performing on the other side of the park. The band became recognized worldwide with the 2009's new album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix- which includes famous tracks like 1901, Lisztomania, and Fense. These songs were the only songs that I knew prior to the show. I knew about the band, however again, they were "too famous" for me.

After a crazy dance session at Cut Copy's show with my friends, we headed to their show right after. Started off their performance with a song" Lisztomana", the lead singer, Thomas Mars was clearly overwhelmed by the number of audience who were there to see the band. He even mentioned that it was the biggest crowed that they'd ever had.

Although I did not know lots of songs by them, their show was very enjoyable- it was a perfect time to enjoy the scene with great friends who traveled together after 10 hours of drive to Chicago. I and girl friends were dancing all the time during the show. It was such a precious moment.

One thing that I absolutely loved about their performance, which made it No.1 was the fact that the band members themselves was having a good time. My friend Saira brought to my attention that Thomas could not help himself from smiling while trying to be serious. The moment that he put a serious face on, he failed to do so as he was so happy to see such  huge crowed was singing along with him, dancing along with the tune. The smile on the big screen made me smile and it was such an unforgettable moment.  I could not see the joy of playing on the stage from anybody else- In fact, a lot of other bands seemed that they were playing for their audience, not for themselves.

This joy of playing music by Phoenix made me think of a Japanese saying 一期一会,"ichi go ichi e" which means "one time, one meeting". This term is driven by Japanese tea ceremony masters. When they serve a tea, they will do their best to make it as a life time experience, which can never be done again. When they have a tea ceremony; they believe that it is the only time to be serving the same member of people at the same time. (Although they would try to get everyone together, it is almost impossible to have the same members again at once)

Phoenix seemed to understand the concept of "ichi go ichi e". They performed their best for us and themselves to enjoy the moment, which would never happen again. I think it is the beauty of the live shows or any live performance. This is why they are the best among all the bands that I saw in three days.

Closing their encore with the song, "1901", I strongly told myself that I would never forget this moment with the 4 other people who happened to be on the same road trip- who made the trip fun.

Thank you so much for reading the rankings! Now I and Bryen have great news to share... but it will be for the next time :) Stay tuned....

Lollapalooza Top 10 review: No.2 Arcade Fire

I am always the kind of person who says no to things that everyone likes. I don’t just like something because everyone else does. I like to discover things on my own – it kind of makes them ‘mine’ – if that makes any sense. A good example is my soon-to-be failing anti-Apple norm. I did not own any Apple products until my Sony Mp3 player died on me and my company started using Macs at work. Now that I see the benefits of using the superior line of products, I like Apple. I need to have a good reason of liking something. I just cannot like something as everyone uses or likes.

My elitist personality caused a weak first impression on the Montreal born indie band- Arcade Fire. I do recall seeing them performing on the Much Music Video Award in 2004 with the song, "Rebellion (Lies)", the very catchy song with "every time you close eyes, na-nah na-nah. Although I was overwhelmed by their performance on TV, I denied the positive thought on them as they just played on MMVA.-Seriously on MMVA?

This negative impression on the band soon altered as I checked out their first album, "Funeral." However, I was not a big fan of the following album, "Neon Bible." The album was just not strong enough for the band. After breaking through the silence in 2010, Arcade Fire released "Suburbs" in August 2010. Following with the album release, the band commenced a festival tour and Lollapalooza was one of them.

I had purchased the third album on the day it came out as three of my friends already texted me in the morning, telling me how great it is despite the "failure" of the second album- ( just as a quick note, a lot of my friends sort of had the same impression on the second album). It was alright when I first listened to it, (Again, this must have been because I had read so many CD reviews from music magazines prior to the purchase) however, it started growing up on me and by the third time that I listened to it, I loved it. I like how the order of songs was set up and how they sounded more matured, but much more fun.

All these positive insights on the new album, I was, of course, extremely excited to see them at Lolla. Their sound from the stage was superior than any other bands that I saw at the festival- the atmosphere that they created from the stage is indescribable. It is like the stage itself got transferred to somewhere that only people at the show can see the stage performance was so much fun to watch, switching around their instruments to another- only very few talented musicians can do. But while wishing them to keep eyes on the stage, it is almost impossible not to dance along with tunes with people around-even with people that I ever met before.

What surprised me the most was that lots of people were able to already sing along when the band played a number of their new songs. Even the lead singer, Win Butler admitted it during the show. However; I must say that the songs that I enjoyed the most was the songs from the first album, including, Rebellion, Wake Up, and Neighborhood #3 (Power out).

I strongly believe that Arcade fire out-casted Soundgarden, who happened to be playing at the same time as the main closing band. Despite the fact that they have not played any gigs for a decade and a significant number of people were just there for the band, Arcade fire indeed outshined the band. It was funny to hear all the blasted sound from the other side of park by Soundgarden during breaks between songs by Arcade fire. It was so loud-but again; being loud is not always the factor that convinces people, right? With the quality of performance and songs, Arcade Fire indeed won the battle.

It was almost like a miracle to see everyone who was at the show, was singing "Wake Up" It was such an epic moment, which gave me goosebumps just watching so many people are humming the song. It felts like this park was being one and everyone was connected. I will never forget how it felt.

I was very lucky see them again in a week at the Toronto Island. It is such a honor and incredible experience to be the part of both show.


This one is from the Lollapalooza :) 

This video is from Toronto Island show

Lollapalooza review Top 10: No.3 The Black Keys

It was back in April that I first heard the song "I got mine" at my friend's place. The intro’s heavy guitar riff remained ingrained in my mind all night and into the next morning. I had to have this album – so the very next day I purchased their newest album, "Brother"- which has been recognized by a number of artists and writers as one of the best album in 2010. After receiving a spotlight on their new work, The Black Keys started their tour in the U.S.

I must have been very lucky to see their performance twice in a week in different locations: one in Toronto; the other in Chicago. I was even luckier to get a ticket to go to see the Toronto show – it was a sold out show.

Their set list was attention grabbing as they started off with older songs with the lead singer/guitarist, Dan, and the drummer, Patrick. As the blues-rock duo hit more tunes, the audience was grooving along. Their sound from the stage was so remarkable that it was so hard to believe that they are playing at a festival- it sounds as if they were playing in a small venue. I was feeling the groove! Feeling it, feeling it!

After playing some songs from old albums, Dan introduced their additional support members to the stage - a keyboard player, and a bassist. This new addition definitely put more taste to their sound- they almost sounded like a completely different band. It brightens up their tune significantly and made it catchier. Playing songs from the new album, “Everlasting love”, “Next girl”, and “Tighten up”, just as the song list from the album, the crowed seemed more excited ( I think it is because lots of people know the newer songs better than old ones, including myself)

By the end of the show, the toughest enemy on the stage for the drummer, Patrick, seemed to be the hot, steamy weather in Chicago. He was so overheated that he was profusely sweating - his plat shirt was soaking wet and a stage hand was putting ice on his neck between songs. However, despite the frightening enemy, Patrick played the hardest and kept smashing drums- his professionalism wowed me for sure.  On the other hand, the lead singer, Dan, was remained looking cool. My friend, Brianna, also mentioned during the show that he is so charismatic - we could not take our eyes off him.

Finally finished playing lots of new songs, the due only remained in the stage and closed the show with the song, " I got mine" ( At this point, I felt very painful watching Patrick) They rocked the Lollapalooza fans and definitely warmed up the stage for the Strokes, who was scheduled to be appeared on the stage next.

With the new band setting with two other people and songs from album, The Black keys is definitely the must-see band. They will rock your socks off! They continue touring in the U.S and are soon heading to Europe! Don't miss the awesomeness of this band if they come to your town!

X JAPAN COMING TO TORONTO

Ladies and Gentlemen!

X JAPAN IS COMING TO TORONTO at MASSEY HALL on THURSDAY OCTOBER 7th!!

Get your tickets now before this event sells out!

You can read Kanae's review of X Japan's Lollapalooza performance here: http://www.musicpsychos.com/2010/08/lollapalooza-review-top-10-no6-x-japan.html

Lollapalooza review Top 4!: The Strokes

One of the reasons that I decided to go to Lollapalooza was to see the legendary New York born indie-rock band - The Strokes. They hadn’t played any shows in the U.S for at least three years. There were rumors that they might split up - spread after some members commenced their solo work. Their solo material really showcases how varied their music taste is outside of the band. Their soon-to-be released 4th album has been postponed for a couple times now – so much so that the label has asked Julian Casablancas; the lead singer to stop talking about it. I’m not sure if a label has ever asked a band to not promote their work! So I had to check out my favorite band before they broke up - well the chance is pretty high (I hope not though, knocking on wood right now!)


They took to the stage after a 15 minute wait; beginning their performance with “New York City Corp” Despite the steamy hot weather, Julian was wearing a leather jacket with a hood, just as he did for the solo live show in Toronto back in April. Their show was very intimidating as their charismatic presence on the stage was overwhelming. (This is maybe just me being extremely excited to see them), but very entertaining as they played all well-known songs, including “Last Night”, “Someday” my favorite song – “You only live once”, “Juice box”, and so on and so forth.

When they played “Hard to explain” I could not help but compare the performance to when Julian played it solo at Kool Haus in Toronto. The song sounded way better here; and although there is a rumor about a split, the song still sounded very tight – convincing me that the members are only working on their solo projects in order to bring “newness” to the band.

What made the show even brighter was Julian’s MC between songs. “Fireworks shit!” Julian brought some laughs to the audience when he saw a firework from the Lady Gage’s stage. The most incredible comment was when someone from the audience said " you talk to much", he replied by saying  “someone used my own venom to sting me." and continue with the song " Last Nite." I found the video on Youtube :) Here you go!



However, it was quite a disappointment that the band left 15 minutes earlier than their allotted set time after playing a very brief ‘encore’ with “ Heart in a cage” and “Take it or Leave it” Not much of an encore seeing that the band the band took a bit of breaks on the stage (Yes, they did not leave the stage)

With a strong hope that they would be back to the stage after the last song, the music started playing and I heard disenchantment among the audience. Another thing is that I was expecting them to play some of new songs from a new album as a sneak peek; however, they didn’t.

Overall, The Strokes marked No.4 in the ranking as they are still my favorite band and their performance overall still wowed me. I would love to see them again touring with a new album.

Lollapalooza review Top 10! No.5 MUTEMATH!!

It was love at first sight. Astonished by their exordial live performance at the Virgin music festival 2009, Mutemath has quickly become one of my favorite bands of all the time. I also saw Mutemath - an experimental, alternative rock/pop- (it is very hard to describe what genre this band) - in NYC last November. I promised myself that the next time that I got to see them, I would be in the front to experience the sheer awesomeness of their live show.

 

Mutemath was to play a one hour set on Sunday. I ran to the South side of the park, leaving behind X Japan and the crew I came with. I was able to set myself fairly close to the front. They started their set with the first song off their second album, “The Nerve”. The four members appeared on the stage confidently, but not very charismatically. They look like ordinary people who can be found wandering anywhere downtown - until they start playing. Darren the drummer is particularly exciting to watch. He plays so hard that he has to wraps his headphone with a duck tape to keep them on his head!

They followed “The nerve” with “Backfire”, “Typical”, and “Spotlight” – followed by the lead singer, Paul, congratulating Darren for his recent marriage and wishing a happy birthday to Greg, the guitarist.

I cannot put into words how crazy their live show is. Audiences cannot take eyes off the stage not to miss a second from their extreme performance. Paul jumped into the crows a couple of times, almost smashing his head on the stage at one point! I wonder if bands have some sort of work place safety and insurance… I doubt it.

To close the show, as their normal performance, they played two of their best; “Reset” and “ Break the same.” The transformation between these two songs is so smooth that they are like one. During these songs, three members play the drums and the other use the guitar amps to make exocentric electronic sound, which wow you for sure. You just have to be there to experience it!

One thing that I was thinking during the show was their shows have become very predictable in terms of which songs and what performance comes after. Maybe it’s just me – I’ve seen them shows three times this year. I think what they need is new songs. They start recording sessions after the summer tour. It was about the time, I guess.

They are easily the one of the best live bands that I have ever seen.

AEROSMITH Live at the Air Canada Centre: August 17th 2010

I’ve been listening to Aerosmith for almost as long as I knew what music – or at least good music – was. But I’ve never had a chance to see them live. I would have liked to see them last year when they toured with ZZ Top – but for one reason or another, I just wasn’t able to make it. Last night I made it – and it was amazing!

Now I am most certainly NOT a fan of Van Halen, but Sammy Hagar – one of the ban’s many singers – has got some pipes! He blows “Diamond” David Lee Roth out of the water! I was definitely impressed! His talents were somewhat lost on the rest of the crowd though; but let’s face it – nobody was here to see Sammy Hagar - we came to see Aerosmith! I’m glad to have finally made it; with all the fighting in the press, this could very well be their last tour. I’m glad I can cross them off my “Bands to see before I/they die” list.

Insults and injuries aside, you can not tell that this band has their issues. They run like a well oiled party machine! From the moment Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and co. strolled onto the stage and began their set with “Train kept a Rollin’” they had the whole place going insane!

They rocked and rolled their way through current hits and old classics throughout the night, heavy on the hits! “Last Child”, “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing”, “Rag Doll” – they just kept them coming! I was surprised that they didn’t play “Deuces are Wild” – but I guess if they played every song I wanted to hear spanning their career the show would be a whole day! They definitely aimed to please. This band knows what their fans like.

I was dreaming though. Dreaming of a moment I’ve been waiting for since I first tried hitting the high notes of “Dream On” when I gave it a shot at Karaoke – I wanted to hear him do it for real! And he hit it and held it! (editors note: I hit the note but not nearly as strong as Tyler does!) It was amazing to finally see and hear that in person!

The rest of the night is a bit of a blur. So many good songs become one massive experience – the band didn’t miss a note, and I didn’t miss a thing.

Lollapalooza review top 10: No.6- X Japan

As I have mentioned in the preview review, the schedule on Sunday was the toughest amongst the three days- many good bands were overlapping each other on the schedule. I guess there are always pros and cons for having such a big music festival in the park. One of the downsides was that it takes for a while to go back and forth between two biggest stages; one is located on the northeast side, and the other is located on the southeast side, which makes sense due to the sound quality of both shows. However, this fact made it so hard to check shows from both sides. I had such a hard time trying to decide!

My initial plan was to check Mutemath – and to get right up front. I didn’t really care how long the wait would be. I always wanted to see the band in the front. So I planed to be the south side fairly early. However, there was a band that I definitely wanted to check – a Visual Kei band (the closest similar description I can give is epic Goth Metal with big guitar solos and sing-along Choruses) from Japan. This was their first North American show after decades of playing in Japan, Europe, and Asia.

I grew up listening to X Japan. Influenced by my best friends’ sister, I always embraced their music. I still recall a day that my dad got me their best album just to talk to me when I was in grade 8. (I was a typical Japanese school girl, who didn’t get along with daddy.) I was so happy that I had a long conversation with my dad how good their songs sounded.

I also remember the day when the lead guitarist, hide (pronounced “he day”), committed suicide. (There is a whole discussion of whether or not it was an accident or suicide, but we won’t get into that here) I do remember how shocked I felt. I especially liked him the best due to not only his outstanding performance on the stage, but also his warm personality and funky hair colour. He was well known for his caring character among his fellow musicians. I recall the X Japan’s performance of “Forever Love” at his funeral.

As enough said about my nostalgic memory about the band, I decided to run through the stage to another. So here was my final plan. After checking Minus the Bear, go to see X Japan for 30 minuites and run over to the southeast stage to check out Mutemath on time.

My friend Saira and I ran to the stage very quickly after the Minus the bear. We even left two other people behind just to catch up with the opening of the band. With such an excitement, X Japan commenced their very first show in North America with the brief intro of Amethyst. Then they warmed up the stage with songs including Jade and Rusty Nail. Although I was extremely happy to see their performance, I occurred to me that the band was struggling to get the crowd moving. I don’t think their North American Debut should have been a festival like Lolla – not too many audience members at an alternative music festival would appreciate this kind of dramatic music. The crowd is more into indie alternative/rock music.

It was really obvious by when they played “X”. This song is one of their most well known among fans. When the band plays the song everyone in the crowed sings along with the lead singer Toshi. With the Lolla audience, Toshi was screaming and telling them to sing along.When I left the stage to catch up with Mutemath starting shortly after, I heard that Toshi was yelling at the crowed in Japanese to sing along louder. I doubt not lots of people understood what he said, but it just showed how frustrated he was.

Despite the struggle, I was still happy to see X Japan and especially when they played the song “Jade”, hide appeared in the screen playing the intro. I felt tears filling up my eyes and so did for lots of people. I wish I was able to see them play the last song, “Tears” as it is one of my favourite songs!

I would love to see them headlining for their own tour in North America. 
Then they would receive the warm response they deserve!

Lollapalooza review. No 7: Cut Copy

Before reading this post below; please, please check out the video.

"Lights and Music, on my mind… Be my baby........."

See, I told you! This song is so catchy that once you listen to the song, it will cause a stuck tune syndrome for a while. No. 7 from the Lollapalooza top 10 is Cut Copy!

I didn't know much about the band till the Lollapalooza playlist in the car ride to Chicago. Immediately after listening to the song I was curious to see the band. Frankly; I didn’t care about their performance as it is not typically a type of music that I listen to. I thought it is catchy but way too poppy for my taste. But I didn't have anybody else that I really wanted to see at the same time (Do I really care to see Green day? Probably not.. right?) So I stayed with my friends and decided to check out Cut Copy.

Cut Copy started off as a solo DJ/song writing project by the lead singer, Dan Whitford. The band has evolved its structure of the band, adding bassist/guitarist (Tim) and drummer (Mitchell). They have gained popularity over the last few years with the release of their 2008 album, followed by extensive touring all over the world in 2009

The performance by the band was fun as I expected – but what made it more fun was the audience. Everyone was bouncing around with the fun music, including myself. I think I danced the hardest during their performance during the Lollapalooza.

There was also a guy right in front of us dancing around and I think he was trying to dance with young girls, which made the show even more priceless.

Just before the show, I bumped into my friend from Toronto. (Yay Brad!!) I knew he was coming to Lolla, but never thought I find him amongst the 80,000 people in the park. So being extra happy to see a pal from Toronto as well as my road trip crew; I danced like a penguin!

What has made me laugh is a comment by my friend about the lead singer’s hand shaking moves during the song. I’ll post a couple of songs from their Lollapalooza performance just so you know what I mean lol

Here is one more! Almost half way done with the reviews! Thank you so much for keep reading and stay tuned with the rest of the ranking :)

Lollapalooza review Top 10! No.8 Spoon

No. 8 is… Da la da la da la da la… SPOON!

The Austin Texas born indie band – Spoon - has been exclusively touring all year after the release of their new album, “Transference” in January 2010. They actually had two shows in Toronto in the last 4 months; headlining in March and then opening for the Flaming Lips with Tokyo Police Club in July. I missed both of the Toronto shows due not only to conflicting schedules, but also the price of the ticket wasn’t something that I was going to pay to see the band. (touring with Flaming Lips is expensive) So Spoon was on my list to check out here at Lolla.

Luckily one other person in the group I was with was interested in seeing the band (thank you Jon!!) When their hit song, “Underdog” broke the silence of the park, we  both ran to the stage to watch. 

Spoon is not the band who wows crowds with their live presence on stage, despite over a decade of experience. Don’t get me wrong, they sounded great on the stage - but it didn’t exactly blow my mind. But their performance was definitely fun to watch. They started with “Underdog”, they played a number of their hit songs - including my favorites “I turn my camera on”, “Don’t you Evah” and “Don’t make me a Target”.

After their current U.S tour, they will head to Europe (wow, lots of artists are heading to Europe in September eh? Jealous!)

I found a video of the Lollapalooza’s show on YouTube.

Enjoy and don’t miss the rest of the ranking!

Lollapalooza 2010 review No. 9 : Minus the Bear

Lollapalooza review No. 9 is.... da la da la da la (drum rolls are important!) - Minus the Bear!!!

Not only do they have such a wicked name - confession: my name is Kanae, and I am a bearholic - but also their performance on the stage was excellent! The Seattle indie band hit the stage on Sunday between 3p.m and 4p.m. It was very humid and everyone was sweaty. It was a very hard day to start after two days of continuous partying. It was about the time for me to realize that I am not 20 years old anymore - having a good night sleep does so much for me at the age of 25!

The heat/lack of sleep wasn’t even the difficult part of Sunday. Scheduling which bands to see on Sunday was the hardest of the 3 days – there were just too many good bands playing at the same time. Thus, some people are jumping from one stage to another; only checking out a few songs from each band - which I ended up doing too.

I only knew a few songs by the band; so I wasn't sure how much I would like it. I definitely like the songs that I know – they are catchy and on constant repeat in my head. I just wasn't sure how well they would translate live. Regardless of my pessimisms; the band gave my attitude an extreme makeover! They were so much fun to watch! They played not only from the newest album; OMNI, but also from their old albums. That's what I like about music festivals – bands play their most familiar songs from their catalogue.

This band is no.9 as they made Lollapalooza day 3 very easy to start for me and it was the very first time when 6 of us stayed watching the same band lol. I missed their show here in Toronto last month; I’m glad I saw them here! Now they are heading to Europe for some gigs. So if you are in Europe, check them out! It's worth it!

Here is the video of my favorite song, my Knight!

Stay tuned with the rest of the ranking!

Lollapalooza show review Top 10! No. 10:

So let's get started with the Top 10 performance reviews of the Lollapalooza! The number 10 is (da la la la la,, (drum rolls..).... the Walkmen!

I have missed a couple of their last few shows here in Toronto - so I was pretty excited to see them, but I wasn't sure if my schedule will match with everyone else I was with. It was my biggest concern of this trip. Somehow it worked out very well!

My favorite solo artist/producer - Butch Walker - even said in his blog that; "The Walkmen are one of the most underrated indie bands out there." Despite the fact that not too many people know about this band, the last couple of shows in Toronto were sold out. I still think that Toronto is one of the best places to check out indie music. We have great taste in music :)

I expected the stage to be fairly empty. To my surprise, the stage was PACKED. They played on Friday between 1p.m to 2p.m. It is fairly early for lots of people to get started. On the same day, there were Lady Gaga and the Strokes on schedule from 8;30p.m... but then I realized that most of the people around the stage were to see Lady Gaga. Seriously guys. Seriously? I heard from our tax driver that some people had been lining up for Lady Gaga from 9 in the morning - the doors open from 11a.m.... and she starts at 8p.m! Seriously guys – seriously!?

Being surrounded by so many people made it hard to pay attention to the stage and I was very far from it, too. However, the tune from the stage made me very happy as I was finally able to "see" (I should say "listen to") the band. They sounded very solid and clear! I just loved how good the leader singer sounded. His voice is something very distinctive. It would have been nicer to see them closer and with more sophisticated crowd - so that is why the band is NO. 10!

Fortunately, The Walkman is coming back to Toronto on October 9th at the Phoenix. I am definitely going to check them out! You can check their show schedule from their My Space site ( click here)

Here is my favorite song by the band, "We've been had"

Enjoy and stay tuned with the rest of the ranking!