elizalavelle: (Sarah Slean spin gallery Eye)
I have spent the last two nights seeing the Art of Time Ensemble Schubert: Source & Inspiration at Harbourfront featuring performances by: Andy Maize, John Southworth, Sarah Slean, Danny Michel and Martin Tielli. I think the only downside to going two nights in a row is that I end up in somewhat of a pattern and will wonder why I'm not there again tonight lol.

Just Andrea and I went on Thursday because we are just that silly to buy tickets for two nights in a row, and we had no clue really of what to expect other than we liked a few of the singers, vaguely knew the Schubert piece of music (now I think I want to buy some of his work it was very beautiful!) and figured it would be entertaining to say the least.

The show began with the Art of Time Ensemble which consists of Andrew Burashko (piano), Erika Raum (violin), and Winona Zelenka (cello). They played Trio No. 2 Op. 100, D 929: Allegro, Andante con moto, Scherzo - Allergro Moderato, Allegro moderato. Simply stunning. I don't go to see a lot of classical music be played and everytime I do I'm just blown away. These three musicians are just so talented and I was just enthralled both nights. Loved it! I felt badly because the first night I suppose it wasn't such a classical music crowd so between the movements no one clapped and I presume most everyone was sitting there like me thinking it felt like a moment to clap but just not wanting to screw up the wonderful music that was going on. Friday there was much clapping, all was well :)

Then there was an intermission and after that came the musicians who'd used the Schubert piece as inspiration for some original songs.

Andy Maize was definitely my unknown (to me) treat of the night. I don't believe I'd heard him perform before and he came up with some lovely songs. His second song, 'City of Sirens' was one I particularly fell in love with. I hope the performers record these new songs, some of them were just fantastic!

John Southworth (who, dear readers, you may remember me mentioning as he opened for Sarah one night in December) he for me is always a little hit or miss. Very experimental performer which is always interesting but I know I was not as impressed as I'd expected to be back in December. For this show his first song (which I think is called 'Mourning in the Morning") was delightful. Everyone spent the rest of the evening comparing him to Johnny Depp and while I couldn't see as much Depp as people were going for what I think they were getting at was that it was very much a Depp directed by Tim Burton performance. His second song ('Zulu') I just wasn't feeling as much, it was very original and actually the second night when I knew it was coming I found that I liked it better. At any rate I think I'm going to look into some more of his music because he is fantastically talented, just some of it so far hasn't worked for me, I'll keep trying.

Sarah Slean, for whom we'd bought tickets way back in October to these shows, had two very lovely songs. Both nights the string players who accompanied her were placed so it was somewhat tricky to actually see Sarah but that doesn't really take away from getting to hear two new songs. Her songs were called 'Lonely Side of the Moon' which was written about how mother earth is striking back at humanity somewhat and how if we wreck the world we can always go live on the lonely side of the moon. As that's something I tend to keep ranting on and on about (not the living on the moon but about how these random disasters aren't actually random and it's just the earth's way of evening things out) I was delighted with this one. The second song was called 'The Rose' and was about dying and it was just beautiful and sad and strong. Two really good solid songs.

Danny Michel was very entertaining. He won over the audience right away, and I have to say I always do enjoy seeing him up on stage. He performed one song to which I do not remember the title but it was about a love story in Guatamala and his second number was called 'Rye Whisky.' Before any Danny Michel fans stumble by this to inform me that that is not a new song, even I knew that! He told the story about the poem which comprise the lyrics and I was sitting there on Thursday thinking "boy does this sound familiar" and then he played the song and I've only seen him perform 3 times I think and I've totally seen him play that song before. Which I called him on on Friday before the show and he said that the music for it is all new, which in fairness it completely is, I paid close attention to it on Friday night and you can pick out the Shubert insipiration.

Martin Tielli wrapped up the evening and he was such an interesting performer to watch. He's very much someone who just gets out there and when he's playing he seems to be completely wrapped up in the music and unaware that he's also putting on a show... but he is theatrical with it at the same time... which doesn't make much sense when I write it down, just go see him, it was great. I can only remember the name of one of the songs 'Aluminum Flies' ("as in the things that lay eggs on rotting corpses") but both of his songs were just great fun to hear.

All in all it was a fantastic pair of nights full of songs. The second night I was particually aware of how every piano player completely handles the instrument differently, which I'm sure also translates to other performers with other instruments but as I only really know how to play the piano (somewhat) that's what I noticed.

Also on Friday Andrea and I were invited to go to an art show opening that Kate Jackson (one of Sarah's friends who was at the Thursday show - which is how we got invited) was a part of. I have to recommend this one. It's at the York Quay Centre and it's their Spring Exhibitions so there are so many different types of amazing artwork there to see. My favourites of the night were: Kate Jackson & Suzanne Carlsen 'Last Night I Dreamt I Was'. No, not because it's Sarah's friend and therefore I was somewhat obligated to like it, but because it was just a delightful series of pieces of art. I loved how it was displayed, you peer through cut outs to see these vibrant moments from dreams. They captured a whole mood with their art. Also Jennifer Long's 'Immigration Series' because the whole idea behind the photoshoot was so powerful and again you just walked into a whole mood there. Heather Goodchild who had a lovely dark fairytale feeling to her artwork (clearly I was going to like that!) There was also a whole series of different art using the medium of film in one way or another and the one that particularly stood out to me was one that was mounted around an old Catholic sick bed kit type of thing. It was a box that came with the holy water and candles and candle holders etc and the instructions for what would happen when the priest came and what you should have prepared and what then would be done, just very interesting to see that and to have that bit of history contrasted with film running over it. Hard to explain. Instead you can click the link for more info and head over to the show :)

I invited Jo to come to the art show opening with us and she made it and while there I convinced her to come see Sarah perform in May with us :) *yay* much fun!

And I think this is plenty long enough for now!
elizalavelle: (90210 sup bitches)
So aside from trying to figure out hydro stuff I've been pretty productive this weekend. I moved some stuff into the apartment, booked the hotel for August, saw PotC ;) You know, essential things.

I also picked up Danny Michel's new cd at the Six Shooter Records store by my house that also gave me some cute "I love art" pins with my purchase. And the cd was only $15.90. Now that's a good cd price! None of this 24.99 crap. If all stores would smarten up and price cds like that I'd buy a whole lot more.

And I think it's today that Viv comes back to TO :D *yay*
elizalavelle: (Xfiles LOL)
I went to the Danny Michel and Lindi show last night, courtesy of Andrea :) (THANK YOU) it was really good.

A MUCH better audience than the show at the Drake with Danny Michel and Lindy (why is this name so popular suddenly?) and for me an audience really can dictatate the time I'll have at a show. If it's full of people talking and ignoring the performer I can't get into the show as much. Last night, much better.

Danny was in a great mood it seemed. Although he had just played at a benefit earlier that night, where he was supposed to play 2 songs and only played 2/3rds of one song and then ran off... people there, not so pleased. At the Riv, we were more pleased. Glad we didn't head to the other place when Andrea got a text that Danny was playing.

I really really am excited for his new album. I love love love the song that I'm calling "Love You For Miles" until someone tells me differently, it's so beautiful. Also I love the Shrimp song but that's totally different lol. Also, it makes me glad that I'd given up on shrimp and most seafood way before hearing that song in Pbo. I was well on my way to being a vegetarian for years.

Oh and Lindi was awesome! Since seeing her play a couple of songs at the Girls with Guitars thing months ago I've been wanting to see her play a full set so *yay* Her songs are not at all what I expected from her after talking to her with everyone at the GwG... she's very surprising, and very talented. I do need to invest in her albums eventually.

In other music news, Sarah Slean's website is stealing my bandwidth. I linked to a picture on the board that I'd uploaded in my image storage space and they're linking to that on the main site lol. Not good form. But I'm not paying for bandwidth so it's not that bad... however it's a wireimage photo so I'm not sure if that causes any legal problems. I'm going to try to make them a decent screencap on my own instead.
elizalavelle: (Default)
I went to my first concert of the new year last night :) Danny Michel! Awesome! Kevin Fox played most of his set with him and that was just mindblowingly great! I'd love to see another show with the two of them. This was actually my first full Danny Michel show and he was sick :( BUT although he says it was a bad show I thought it was really good. He did a great set.

Also Lindy was one of his openers (he played with his finacee Sally I believe her name was who plays the bass and sings and she was great too!) and I really really enjoyed his set as well.

The first opener... I feel bad, I forget her name.... she was definitely talented. She's young though and that still comes through in her stage presence... however she was more composed than I'd have been with the crazy amount of talking that was going on that night.

This brings me to the ranting

behind the cut... sparing you if you want lol )

Cute thing of the night: Danny had this girl from the audience come up and play the piano solo with him and Kevin. She looked so happy, that must have been amazing for her.
elizalavelle: (Spuffy momentary)
Happiest news ever ... Carma is coming to TO! When I am actually here and everything :D I haven't seen Carm since the end of first year so this is so exciting! *bounce**bounce**bounce* Goal of her visit... for me not to get her stuck in the middle of a highway ;) I think I can manage that.

Also on Saturday it's the Danny Michel concert *yay* so that shall be a fun night. And apparently Fromage is on tv that night, and I MUST remember to tape it because I've missed it EVERY time Much Music has rerun it and that's one of the few shows on that station that I can stand anymore lol.

I got to see Viv and Mike yesterday for shopping. I was very good. I did buy one dvd but it was a silent version of the Wizard of Oz from 1925 and it was second hand at Vortex so it's not like you see a lot of those so I nabbed it. Then Mike was awesome and bought me dinner. I think this summer I need to take him and Viv out someplace nice. Viv remind me of this when A. I have money and B. Mike is here. Viv got lots of DVDs but they're all awesome :) and WTF is HMV doing selling the XFiles season 1 for $40! They didn't have any other season there... and it looked like it might have been a sticker mistake because the sticker listed the original price as $64.99 and usually the box sets are all $114.99 so perhaps some employee was not paying attention *oops* for them. Yay for Xfiles fans. Sadly I had that season (although I couldn't afford to buy it anyways, gotta wait 'til payday)
elizalavelle: (until I win)
So as the year draws to a close I'm just going to sum up my strongest memories from each month. Simply because I can :)


a year in the life )
elizalavelle: (happy holidays VM)
Oh the holidays.

A big LJ shout out to the lady who stabbed me with a plastic fork and knife today on her way through the store. That was a great experience. Especially the part where you rolled your eyes at me because clearly it was my fault you walked your utensils into my arm.


Oh and a second shout out to my coworker who told me that it was good for me to turn down chocolate because I am overweight. Charming. That's just what I needed to hear for the holidays.

Good news I picked up tickets to the Danny Michel show next month :) I wish Rotate This took debit for tickets, but they didn't so I had to walk to a sketchy bank machine at night....however that worked out okay and I have tickets and wasn't mugged ;) I am of course going to be broke again soon because after buying a bus pass for January and paying my OSAP for the month it wont be fun. Oh new job where are you? Actually I can't complain, Santa gave me two connections for new job stuff today.

AND I ran into Kerry who is a friend from years ago who I went to NYC with when I was 18. So random to see her again but so nice. And I love musical people. As soon as I mention my useless English degree I get "what do you do with a B.A. in English" quoted at me and I love it! I hope she emails me :)

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!
elizalavelle: (happy holidays VM)
Happy Christmas eve eve everyone :D One more day of work today and then it's time for holidays :D I feel I should buy myself some wine...

oh but I must remember to buy the Danny Michel tickets today. That's important. And tomorrow go shopping with Viv and finsih my stocking stuffer presents. Then je suis finis.

Side note my brother KICKED ASS with his present wrapping this year. I absolutely cannot guess what he got me. Seriously, even I cannot outdo this one.... although I'm going to have tor try now...

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Elizabeth Jamieson

January 2013

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