What can I say about the guy? He's a class act. Funny show, shitty venue...that is all.
Band of Skulls was a show that I had been looking forward to for quite a while. There was quite the turnout for their show, but I still feel like they're an extremely underrated band that a lot of people still don't know. The show that night cemented my opinion of them as they displayed great showmanship and musicianship. This is something you rarely see these days with new young bands. Please support them if they're in your town, you won't be disappointed.
Stars was in town last week to promote their upcoming release The Five Ghosts. The first half of their set consisted only of the new songs and they all sounded great. I'm looking forward to the June 22nd release and hope that they come back sooner rather than later. I don't know what it is about Stars that makes them so special to me, but when I think of the songs that stand out the most in my mind, I think of storytelling. Most of their songs tell stories that I can relate to. When I think of the lyrics used in their songs, I can re-live moments of my life that happened in a distant past. Stars have always evoked nostalgia in my heart and that to me makes them dear to my heart.
Another artist that tugs at my nostalgia heart-strings is David Gray. My life as an adult has always included David Gray in one form or another. From the moment in 1996 when I saw him open for Radiohead I've followed his career. However, I had a falling out with him a few years later due to the end of a long relationship in my life and subsequently, I forgot about his music out of association. To my delight, I rediscovered David Gray four years ago when he headlined the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. As I sat outside on this hill watching David Gray perform, I felt a rush of emotions come back to me and remembered the happiness that his music brought me. Fast forward to 2010, David Gray is still in fine form and sounds even more sophisticated than ever. The new songs translate very well live and his old songs have new meaning to me. That night, I left the show feeling quite elated and for that, I thank you David.
Finally, last night I saw a comedian that I have been dying to see for quite some time. Since watching Cake or Death at my neighbour's house many years ago, I've always admired the comedy stylings of Eddie Izzard. His brand of comedy isn't like most comedians out there. Eddie is an intelligent and witty comedian much like Monty Python. His sketches always include something insightful about the human condition and makes you see life in a different angle. It's hard to explain, so I hope the DVD of this tour comes out so you can see what I mean. I laughed so hard last night that I could barely go on my run this morning because I was so sore.
My point in giving you a brief review of these shows actually tie into something that a co-worker and dear friend said to me the other day: "There are few things in life more life altering than discovering a song that stays with you for the rest of your life". This statement really hits home to me in relation to how entertainment can impact your life on an emotional level. Lately, these moments have become rare for me, but if I think hard enough, I might be pleasantly surprised with what I find.
Myself with Band of Skulls...Pretty fucking cool if you ask me.
