Friday 14 June 2013

Review: Arts & Crafts Field Trip

Last week-end, I headed to Toronto to attend the Arts & Crafts Field Trip. Just like I was expecting, the day was epic!

I'm happy to report that I was one of the first thousand people on site, and therefore got my hands on the Arts & Crafts 2003-2013 compilation CD.

The first performance of the day was by Gold & Youth, who kicked off the day with a great set. Then we checked out the Darcys. I was pleasantly surprised by this group. By far my favourite discovery of the day! I was sold with the sound of the band, and I absolutely loved the lead singer's voice.

Image: @cp_style

Then we walked over to the other stage to check out Zeus, who I had seen before when they opened for Sam Roberts Band. These guys always put on a good show, and this was no different. Then it was time for Cold Specks, whose lead singer has an amazing vocal range. Very impressive!

Next up is Hayden, playing to a very enthusiastic crowd (especially my friend who insisted we be in the front row). I had heard of Hayden before but never actually heard his music. I was very pleased and he's on my radar now. I would love to see him live again.

We stayed at the front for the next act, which I was very really excited about: Bloc Party. Having seen them at Osheaga last year, I knew we were in for an entertaining show. Also, I recently got their latest album "Four" and I really like it. They put on a good show, playing lots of their great songs, including "Banquet" and "Helicopter". They even played a new song entitled "Montreal". To be honest, their set at Osheaga was a lot more energetic than what they delivered at Field Trip. Still, I enjoyed Bloc Party's performance.

We're watching Bloc Party. Image: https://www.facebook.com/fieldtriplife

We briefly stopped at the other stage, where Trust was dancing up a storm on stage. I had meant to check him out at Ritual Nightclub a few months ago, but I missed the show unfortunately. My favourite part of the show was the dancer with sparkly shorts, a rabbit mask and the elephant trunk. A very classy touch!

Up next, the lovely Dan Mangan. I am a big fan of Mangan and his music is fantastic. Having seen him at last year's Folkfest, I knew that he would put on a good show. Actually, I preferred his set at Field Trip more than his set at the Folkfest; it felt a lot more intimate. Unfortunately, because we wanted to get a "decent" spot for Feist, we weren't able to stay for Dan Mangan's whole set.

The show that I was most looking forward to was Feist. I have only seen her perform once before at the 2012 Juno Awards (and that performance was phenomenal). However, that was just one song, so I couldn't wait to see her play entire set. Her performance exceeded my expectations.

Feist's setlist included many songs from her album "Metals" (2011) including "Commotion", "Graveyard", "How Come You Never Go There", "Bad in Each Other" and "The Circle Married the Line". In addition, she played other great songs, like "When I Was a Young Girl", "I Feel it All", "Mushaboom", "My Moon My Man", "Limit to Your Love" and "Sea Lion Woman". What I enjoyed most about the performance is that all her song were interpreted differently than on the albums. It was like listening to entirely new material... I absolutely loved it! By far, my favourite performance of the day!

Finally, the band the whole city was waiting for: Broken Social Scene. It was announced a week prior to the concert that the group would perform their album "You Forgot It In People" in its entirety. It's a fantastic album and you could tell that people were excited! People enjoyed songs like "7/4 Shoreline", "Stars and Sons", "Almost Crimes", Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl" and my personal favourite "Lover's Spit".

Although the band had not played together for a while, it felt like watching a family reunion. It was sincerely heartwarming and there was love exuding from the audience. It was a beautiful moment, and I felt lucky to be part of it.

Having a blast! Me and my friend (with G hiding in the back)

 Overall, I had an amazing time at the Arts & Crafts Field Trip and it was definitely worth the trip to Toronto.


Until next time, Toronto!

No comments:

Post a Comment