Green Day - Toronto - April 11, 2013

I caught Green Day at the Air Canada Centre last week (April 11, 2013).  Overall, the concert was lots of fun.  But it was a shadow of the great peformance that Green Day staged last time they were in Toronto at the Molson Ampitheatre.

The band came on at about 9 p.m. with a blistering rendition of 99 Revolutions.  They played for a total of about 2 hours and 10 minutes.  Not bad compared to most other bands, but much less than than the 3 hours plus that they played at their last Toronto performance.

Armstrong, fresh out of rehab, seemed to be back to his crazy self.  He was full of energy, non-stop, throughout the show and run through the band's usual repertoire of edgy antics.  He called up a few kids to sing along and the invited them to body surf their way back into the crowd.  "There's only one way out of here," he chirped - and the young kids happy complied.

He pulled out a hose and soaked a few rows of fans.  He pulled out a toilet paper gun and fired toilet paper all over the crowd.  He also shot 5 or 6 t-shirts into the audience.  Along the way, he exhorted the crowd, in Queen-esque style - to sing responsively to his lead.

The band performed a number of pieces from their latest trilogy - uno, dos, tres.  They also strung together a number of crowd favourites.  "Holiday" got the crowd going and then "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" was terrific.  "When I Come Around" was excellent and "Basket Case" was great.  The band's rendition of "Shout," blended with "King for a Day" was quite entertaining as was the short nod to AC DC's "Highway to Hell."  But this was a much abbreviated version of the multi-song medley that Green Day has sometimes performed.  The medley at their last Toronto show was one of the concert highlights.

The ACC was sold out and the general admission section at the front was filled with frenzied fans, many of whom were trying their luck at body surfing.  It was quite a spectacle.  Unquestionably, the fans loved the show.  Armstrong gives it his all every time, working the crowd, running back and forth across the stage and trying all kinds of stunts.  For those who haven't seen Green Day in concert, Billie Joe Armstrong is really quite a unique peformer, not really similar to anyone else out there these days.

Musically, much of the concert was somewhat predictable, not particularly varied and less exciting than some previous Green Day performances.  But the encore was as good as any I've seen. "American Idiot" was lots of fun.  But the real highlight of the show was the multi-layered "Jesus of Suburbia."  This extended theme piece is the best component of Green Day's repertoire.  To get an idea of how great this song can be, you can check  out this Link to the "official" version of the song.  This was definitely the performance of the evening.  The band closed with "Brutal Love" which was not nearly as powerful as the usual Green Day finish of "Time of Your Life" which the band skipped this time around.

If this performance is any indication, Green Day still has a great future ahead.  But it is time to revise some of the components of the show and try some new ideas.  I'm quite sure that Billy Joe Armstrong is up to the challenge.

Yemen Blues - Harbourfront Westjest Stage - September 2, 2012

Israeli musical group Yemen Blues performed at the Harbourfront Westjet concert stage on Sunday September 2, 2012 to a standing room only crowd of more than 2,000.  The concert was presented as part of the Ashkenaz festival in Toronto, though there is very little that is "ashkenaz" about this group.

Yemen Blues is a unique musical experience that combines Yemenite/African and eastern musical styles with contemporary jazz, funk and blues.  The band is made up of musicians playing a variety of different instruments including a cello, violin, trombone, trumpet, flute, guitar, percussion/lute, and standard drum kit. Lead singer Ravid Khalani fronts the band and also plays an eastern version of a bass. 

Khalani sings most of the group's songs in Yemenite (a dialect of Arabic).  Influenced by the Yemenite chants that he learned as a child in his local Synagogue in Israel, Khalani has taken this Yemenite-traditional musical base and mixed it up with a range of other African and eastern influences.

For the uninitiated, Khalani's voice can be rough at times.  For part of the performance, he can alternate between trance-like Yemenite chants in a gravelly voice, mixed with shrieks, and various exuberant calls.  At other times, he veers to falsetto and other vocal styles.  With a little bit of Hebrew thrown in and perhaps some other languages, the singing is mainly Yemenite.  For Yemen Blues, this can mean wide ranging appeal in many places where traditional Israeli groups would be quite unwelcome.  Apparently, Yemen Blues, has a following among many Arab and Muslim listeners.

Of course, this would best suit the spirit and objective of Khalani's music.  Near the end of the concert, he explained to the audience that the music is intended to cross religious, ethnic and cultural boundaries.  "It doesn't matter whether you are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or from some other religious or cultural background - our goal is to bring everyone together through music," he explained.

The audience responded, particularly towards the end of the 75 minute show, as Khalani took off his jacket and implored everyone to get up, clap and dance along.  Khalani himself is quite a spectacle on stage.  He works himself into a frenzied dance, moving along the stage with an obvious passion and infectious enthusiasm.

Overall, the band was fascinating.  The high calibre musicians were well rehearsed and moved into extended jazz interludes that could have fit into any world class blues/jazz festival.  Then they veered back into Yemenite/eastern music that brings the listener to the sounds of an Israeli/Yemenite Hina (a pre-wedding celebration).

It is exciting and remarkable that such an eclectic sounding ethnic musical group would develop such a large following in so many places.  Yemen Blues have been peforming around the world and have attracted audiences in Scandanavia, Eastern Europe, the U.S. and of course their home country, Israel.  In Toronto, the audience size and welcoming reaction made a case for a larger venue for Yemen Blues' next Canadian peformance.   

Kelly Clarkson/The Fray - Toronto 2012 Molson Amiptheatre Review

Kelly Clarkson headlined a show in Toronto on August 28, 2012 at the Molson Ampitheatre which also featured The Fray and Carolina Liars.  She delivered an exciting, hit-filled set to an enthusiastic, though not sold-out crowd. 

Her show opened with a lead-in from AC DC's "you shook me all aight long," which blended into a video montage - and then Clarkson appeared on stage to sing "my life would suck without you" followed by a powerful rendition of "behind these hazel eyes." 
Clarkson was full of energy and performed her pop-rock hits with a powerful wide-ranging voice.  She engaged the audience, many of whom were teens and tweens enjoying the show with their parents or other family members.  She played a number of cover tunes.  First, it was "we are young," the hit song by Fun.  She walked up into the 3rd and 4th sections of the Ampitheatre and had the whole crowd on its feet singing along.  Later, in a nod to Canadian recording artists, she covered Michael Buble's "let me go home." She then added a cover of the Jason Aldean song "don't you want to stay" with Isaac Slade from The Fray, who came back out.    She turned back to her own numbers and sang "breakaway," "since u been gone" and "because of you" in a string of crowd pleasers.  Clarkson has a unique place in the concert circuit today.  She's a female pop/rock star who puts on a straight ahead pop/rock concert without resorting to sexuality as the focal point of her show. The gimickry was limited but the music was great and that is somewhat refreshing in today's musical landscape.  The only major drawback was that the total length of the show was about an hour and ten minutes.  At one point, Clarkson recounted a story about how she had seen U2 live and they didn't perform "with  or without you."  She felt cheated.  Sure, but Clarkson didn't peform "addicted" or 'hear me" or many other great pieces.  In a set of just over an hour, she played three cover songs.  Sure, they were all great, but she could have played for another hour, even if that would have run past the bed time of many of the audience members.

Clarkson came out with a  tough act to follow.  The Fray put on a terrific show, thought it was also about an

hour and ten minutes long.  They opened with "all at once" and "turn me on" and really had the audience engaged when they moved into "you found me," one of their really big hits.  Lead singer Isaac Slade fronts a 6 piece band, which was set up in beautifully symmetrical stage arrangement, which, at times, featured 3 percussionists.  The lighting blended well with the music and created some warm and vibrant stage effects.  Like Clarkson, Slade made his way up to the top of the Ampitheatre, bringing along his keyboard, and played and song up at the top of the concert all.  He made a couple of complete rounds through the entire Ampitheatre, while signing responsively with the crowd.  No doubt many of the audience members had come to see The Fray and they weren't disappointed with the band's well rehearsed performance.  The Fray are more subtle than Clarkson, and at times emphasize the ambient side of music.  Heavily influenced by U2 and Coldplay, the band, led by Slade, has a rich and intricate sound. 

Slade sat down at the piano and belted out a fun cover of The Temptation's "ain't too proud to beg."  The band's high point of the evening was, of course, their biggest hit, "how to save a life," though I would say the live version was somewhat understated and not quite as exciting as it could have been.  Overall, The Fray delivered a great show and would probably be a terrific band to see as a headliner.  Unfortunately, as with Kelly Clarkson, they only played for just over an hour, which seemed way too short.

I arrived too late for "Carolina Liars" so I can't comment on the opening act but I figure I still managed to see two very good short sets.  When combined together, it would be like seeing one great performer for a full concert, though I think all three performers combined still add up to less than the 3 1/2 hour show that Green Day delivered at the same venue 2 years ago.



  

Rami Kleinstein - Zappa Jerusalem - Concert Review

Rami Kleinstein was born in 1962 in New York. He came to Israel with his family at the age of 8. Now considered one of Israel's big name musicians, he has often played venues holding thousands of fans. Last night he performed at the Zappa club in Jerusalem, one of a group of four intimate clubs across Israel which combine high level musical entertainment with wide ranging menus.

The Zappa club is set up as a restaurant and live concert venue. When you order tickets, you are provided with reserved spots at one of the tables, which are each set up to hold 6 to 8 guests. Apparently you can join Zappa for an annual fee and get prime reserved seating in advance for event tickets at Zappa's clubs across Israel.

Looking around, it was evident that all of the seats had great sight lines. We were sitting close enough that Kleinstein made it over to one or two tables ahead of us while belting out one of the encore numbers. The club played a mixture of Springsteen and Police music before the show. I'm not sure if this was selected by the band or picked by Zappa to suit the audience but either way, it seemed to fit quite nicely.

The food was excellent. Zappa Jerusalem is a kosher, meat restaurant. The selection included items like chili-honey grilled chicken thighs, assorted Jerusalem grill (a variety of mixed meats), Asian chicken salad and a variety of appetizers and desserts. There were some vegetarian dishes and soy-milk based cappuccinos and other specialty coffees. The wine selection was also quite decent.

But the main course this evening was undoubtedly Rami Kleinstein. Wearing faded red pants, a dark t-shirt and a dinner jacket, Rami joined his six piece back up group (the "council") by sitting down at his red piano and beginning his set.

Rami enthusiastically welcomed the capacity crowd, commenting a number of times on how special it was to be playing in Jerusalem. He mentioned that he would be playing a broad selection of music from his 25 year career and delved into it.

Sometimes compared musically to an Israeli Billy Joel or Elton John, Rami's smooth piano playing evokes these comparisons. But I would say that a good chunk of his music also veers a bit closer to rock artists such as Bruce Springsteen or Bob Seger, though Kleinstein has a much smoother voice. The oft made comparison was highlighted about half way through the show when Kleinstein delivered a beautiful rendition of Billy Joel's Piano Man.

Supported by three guitarists, a bassist, a back up singer and a drummer, Kleinstein covered a variety of music styles, even flirting with some reggae at one point. He filled the club with warmth and emotion when he sat at the piano singing ballads - some with and some without the rest of the band. His ongoing rapport with the crowd was just the right balance, introducing new and old songs with a blend of humour and excitement. The band played two songs that Kleinstein described as "so new they were still in diapers and had yet to be named..."

Rami was married for many years to Rita, another well known Israeli singer. Prior to their divorce, he was actively involved in her musical career and wrote many songs to her, about her and inspired by her. There was a particular edge to many of these songs, which Kleinstein mischievously described as having been written to "one specific person." Many of these pieces are among Kleinstein's best works.

Towards the second half of the show, which was slightly more than two hours, Kleinstein took off his jacket and led the band through a number of more up-tempo, well-known numbers. He made his way around the tables, imploring the crowd to get off their feet and dance. The audience enthusiastically obliged and sang along until the end of the show.

Throughout the concert, Kleinstein was emotional and completely immersed in the music, usually with a wide grin. The band was tight and well rehearsed. Kleinstein's voice was smooth and accessible and his piano playing was passionate and quite enjoyable.

The overall combination of an intimate venue with great food, terrific acoustics (the volume was just right) and Rami Kleinstein - an oustanding performer, made this one of the great concert evenings I've had the pleasure of attending.

Evanescence - Sound Academy - Toronto - October 25, 2011 - Review

Amy Lee, the lead singer of Evanescence, has described her band's musical genre as "epic, dramatic, dark, rock." The description is probably apt although the band has a unique sound that is not easily classified. At times, the band sounds like a throw back classic hard rock band influenced by sounds like the Scorpions, Triumph, GNR, Whitesnake and others. Three of the current members can even throw around the big hair of the 80s bands, giving Evanescence a distinct deja vous feel.

But Amy Lee gives this group a whole different dimension. Although she fronts a band that edges into goth metal, her vocals remain clear, well defined and distinctly melodic. She doesn't get involved in the outright screaming that defines so many other metal bands and one of Evanescence's opening acts. Instead, she displays an enormously wide range of vocal talent from piano accompanied ballads to an ethereal high end sound that intertwines so nicely with the Evanescence trademark guitar riffs.

On Tuesday night, Evanescence played in Toronto at the Sound Academy, a
3200 capacity standing only concert venue. The set was about an hour and 15 minutes long and was laced with generous helpings of songs from Evanescence's newest album, a number of which were new to the crowd. Though the band has changed its line-up quite a bit since its debut platinum album in 2003, the constant is still Lee who provides the band with its unique sound.

The group played through a range of pieces starting with the newer "do what you want" but then ripping into "going under" which really got the crowd going. As the set list moved along, many of the pieces seemed to blend into one another, having similar constructions and sound patterns. Given Amy Lee's formidable talents, it would be great to see the band widen the scope of its music to better showcase her abilities.

As Evanascence approached the end of its set list, it hit the pieces the crowd had really come to hear. "Bring me to life" was raw and terrific as Lee moved around the stage, fist pumping, tossing her hair in all directions and egging on the audience to sing along.

But the highlight of the show was unquestionably the final piece - "My Immortal." Lee sat down at the piano and began to play. Hundreds pulled out their smart phones to record the song. It sounded even better live than the studio version. Lee hit the notes beautifully. This was a song that really was worth the price of admission. Towards the end, Lee alternated between singing and inviting the audience to sing. Everyone here knew the words. If earlier parts of the concert were a bit dull or repetitive, this third encore made up for it.

The same could not be said for the two opening acts. Having to listen to these two groups was a heavy price to pay to hear Evanescence.

Rebel Son, a Southern U.S. band that flies a confederate flag on its web site, played a zeppelin influenced set of screaming metal. It seemed to me that the audience was mainly hoping that it would end quickly, which it did, after about a half hour.

Shortly afterwards, the Pretty Reckless, a New York based band, followed. The sound was admittedly reckless but not very pretty. With Nirvana influenced screaming and not much of a melodic sound to the vocals, the lead singer pole-danced her way through the band's "controversial" song - "going down." The band's cover of Audioslave's "like a stone" was passable but not particularly inspiring. Fittingly, the band approached the end of its 40 minute set with a song called "make me want to die" which probably matched much of the audience reaction to this performance.

Since the venue was a standing only first come first serve arrangement, the audience had to put up with these two sub-par opening acts to get to the band they had come hear. Both were quite loud and less than stellar. This was probably more punishment than should have been required to see Amy Lee and Evanescence live. But as mentioned above, the last few Evanescence songs probably made up for any inconveniences.

My Chemical Romance and Brian May at Reading Festival 2011 HD

This isn't a concert review - but it is simply a link to a video of an incredible event. Brian May, former lead guitarist of Queen - appeared at the Reading Festival in Britain last Friday - August 26, 2011 - and joined My Chemical Romance. They sang "We Will Rock You" and then "Welcome to the Black Parade" together. This was just two nights before Brian May joined Lady GaGa on the VMA awards - in her opening number. I guess he is building some spotlight time coming up to the 20th anniversary of the death of former Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury. This is one heck of a performance by Queen and MCR.

Train and Maroon 5 - Molson Amphitheatre Toronto Review Aug 22, 2011

The Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto had quite a triple bill going on Monday night. Train, Maroon 5 and Nikki Jean played to a fairly full house, in almost perfect weather conditions. The musical combination seemed like a nice fit. I had enjoyed seeing train a couple of times a few years back. Even though I hadn’t seen Maroon 5, I was all set for a great evening.

Looking around, it was quite a varied crowd, ranging from teenagers to forty-somethings. When I first saw the concert notice, I wondered which band would be the opening act and which band would headline. A few minutes into Maroon 5’s set, I knew who the crowd had come to see. Even though Maroon 5 has only put out three studio albums, the band tore into a set that sounded like a greatest hits package. There is a very familiar feel to Maroon 5 music – reminiscent of Earth, Wind and Fire, Chicago, and maybe even the Doobie Brothers. The playlist went from Harder to Breathe, Sunday Morning, If I never see your face again to Misery…and continued on…

The music was tightly executed, upbeat and polished. The set flowed along with Adam Levine prancing about, shedding clothes and working himself into a sweat, while most of the audience danced in the aisles to his falsetto voice. There were very few slow moments as the band wasted little time. When they launched into Wake Up Call, the band hit a new level and the crowd went crazy. This Love had the whole place shaking and then, just like that, the band wrapped up its set. Coming back for two more numbers, Hands All Over and She Will Be Loved, the encore was weak compared to the rest of the set. Though Adam Levine was fun and energetic and the music was great, the concert was short, clocking in at about an hour and 15 minutes, with the encores.

As the set wound down, I began to wonder how Train would top this. It takes a fairly confident band to follow such a strong opening show, though having seen Train, I thought they would be up to the challenge.

Sadly, they fell short. Running at a much slower pace, Train took a while to get things going. With lots of shtick, running around the whole stadium, bringing 25 or 30 girls up on to the stage and playing a few interesting covers, like Rihanna’s Umbrella, a Blondie song and U2’s “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” Pat Monahan must have thought that he had earned the Bono sized ego.

But the band only really started to spark when it Hey Soul Sister, a recent mega hit. And surprisingly after only about an hour, that was it for the show. The band reappeared for a few encores, including a terrific version of Drops of Jupiter. Hard to believe that it has been 10 years since the song was released but the hooks are still a crowd favourite. The band then wrapped things up with “This Ain’t Goodbye” which was subdued and somewhat unsatisfying. It felt like the set was even shorter than Maroon 5’s. I couldn’t help but feel that Train never really hit its potential. Too much down time, too many gimmicks and an energy level that just wasn’t there. Then again, it has to be hard to follow Maroon 5, something Adam Levine alluded to towards the end of their set when he said “I hope you’ll show Train the same love you’ve shown us.”

On a pleasant note, Nikki Jean opened up with a really solid half hour set. Playing some Motown pieces and some of her own numbers including Pennies in a Jar and La Di Da, Jean did a great job kicking things off.