Music and Musing in Toronto

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I find myself a little sad to be leaving Toronto today. Excited about making the trip to Vancouver, but sad to leave here all the same.

I've had a great few days here, the highlight of which are:

Thursday evening - Last Summer on Earth Show at Molson Ampitheatre
This was the important one that I needed to make sure I was in Toronto for. It would have been such a shame to waste my front row ticket and my spot at the pre-show meet and greet!!

The evening actually started off with a very up close and personal show at the Reverb tent at the venue. Ed and Jim stepped up to play a couple of songs. If i'd have been stood any closer to Jim I'd have been able to share his microphone! Was a nice little warm up for the Meet and Greet

I find meet and greets a strange affair, but it's always worth it to get a picture with all of the guys together and particularly when they are playing their home city as you don't tend to see them afterwards. Ed greeted me with a friendly "What up, UK is in the house" so I had to correct him and tell him that actually I'm a temporary Canadian now and that planning a UK tour after I move to canada was just plain inconsiderate :-P

I got lots of well wishes from all of them and a few travel tips from Kevin.

It still seems odd to be seeing BnL play in and pack out a massive venue. We get spoilt in the Uk with being able to see them play smaller places, so I wasn't sure what the atmosphere was going to be like, particularly as it's a seated venue. The front row was packed with familliar faces so I had nothing to worry about. As soon as they hit the stage we all stood and it was arms on the barrier and off we go for the rest of the night.

Playing before BnL was Boothby Graffoe, Guster and Ben Folds who all put on a good set. It was a bit like being back on the cruise :-)

Saturday - Hanging out at The Harbourfront Centre and then Great Big Sea at Molson Ampitheatre

The Harbourfront Centre is a really nice place to hang out and watch the boats on the lake, with the Toronto Islands a little way off in the distance. It's a cool place anytime but particularly in the summer at the weekends when there is a lot going on down there. They have little market stalls, food places and live music and it's pretty much the only place in the city to catch a little breeze on the hot days. I got to see a cool band called "Five Alarm Funk" that I'd never heard of before but just wanted to see what they were like. They put on a really fun show and it turns out they are from Vancouver so hopefully I'll get to check them out again.

The main even for Saturday was back to the Molson Ampitheatre for GBS (The Waterboys were the support act :-P) It was an amazing show! Again, the place was packed out and it was a real party atmosphere.

GBS are a band that I've seen bits and pieces of shows on ships and dips but never a full on concert. They are now on the list of bands I must see again :-)



I've visited Toronto a couple of times and have never really been able to imagine myself living here, but after this trip I'm seeing the place a little differently and think I could come back here safe in the knowledge that I have some good friends around (or in the near vicinity) and that it feels like more of a good fit for me. Maybe it's because this time I wasn't doing all the touristy type of stuff and you definitely get to see a different side to a city when you're just hanging out or maybe I'm just being blinded by the incredible music on offer, but I think I'll be back here again at some point :-P

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