01-21-2015, 08:02 PM
Back to Ottawa after the show and a night/day in Burlington. Holy crap, what a show. Vapour Trails, one of my top 10 tunes, finally saw it live. Nice Phantom Power double shot in closing section. Nice small venue (have seen shows at Higher Ground but not Flynn Theater), receptive crowd with a lot of US fans around me. Vapour Trails was lost on most around me, one couple asked "what song is this?".
Have to agree with some previous comments. Gord seems to be making a real effort vocally. After 20 some off years of seeing show, maybe one of the best vocal performances I have seen. At least best in recent memory -- make me realize how much he was screaming through the last two tours. Some highlights:
Grace, Too -- never tire of it as an opener
Music@Work -- song that I think was butchered by screaming past few years, brought me back to why I liked this song in the first place. Add in there Gord totally messing up the lyrics, keeping the band going and getting back on track
Vapour Trails --....just hearing it.....and oddly GD seemed to use the teleprompter less for this one than some oft-played songs
In View: Not a favorite, but one of the better live versions I have heard.
Fully section -- neat concept, bit odd to know what song is coming next. Personally highlight was Pigeon Camera and GD's interplay with the screen. Plus, Gord blowing himself across the stage during 100th. Fifty Mission, neat use of the video screen. Courage had a neat little musical coda at the end that was different from anything I could think of from past few tours.
Closing section -- two from Phantom Power, especially Something On. GD again sort of screwed up Twist but Paul helped him out and they had a bit of a laugh. Great version of Blow to close the night. I was also a bit to the left of the middle section, less Bobby in the mix for me but could really pick out Paul.
Overall, lots of previous comments have been on cost of tickets, length of show, quality of vocal performance. After seeing a show, no complaints from me (no complaints beforehand either -- been seeing shows since Up To Here, actually before that though I am not sure I ever really saw them...they played a high school dance...). Was happy to see a show in a smaller venue, next one is Kingston for me, and I suspect they'll also be a Bluesfest show. Plus, every tour I now wonder "is this the last one." Seeing at least one more this tour, but after seeing 40+ shows if this was the last one, I'd be pretty satisfied.
Have to agree with some previous comments. Gord seems to be making a real effort vocally. After 20 some off years of seeing show, maybe one of the best vocal performances I have seen. At least best in recent memory -- make me realize how much he was screaming through the last two tours. Some highlights:
Grace, Too -- never tire of it as an opener
Music@Work -- song that I think was butchered by screaming past few years, brought me back to why I liked this song in the first place. Add in there Gord totally messing up the lyrics, keeping the band going and getting back on track
Vapour Trails --....just hearing it.....and oddly GD seemed to use the teleprompter less for this one than some oft-played songs
In View: Not a favorite, but one of the better live versions I have heard.
Fully section -- neat concept, bit odd to know what song is coming next. Personally highlight was Pigeon Camera and GD's interplay with the screen. Plus, Gord blowing himself across the stage during 100th. Fifty Mission, neat use of the video screen. Courage had a neat little musical coda at the end that was different from anything I could think of from past few tours.
Closing section -- two from Phantom Power, especially Something On. GD again sort of screwed up Twist but Paul helped him out and they had a bit of a laugh. Great version of Blow to close the night. I was also a bit to the left of the middle section, less Bobby in the mix for me but could really pick out Paul.
Overall, lots of previous comments have been on cost of tickets, length of show, quality of vocal performance. After seeing a show, no complaints from me (no complaints beforehand either -- been seeing shows since Up To Here, actually before that though I am not sure I ever really saw them...they played a high school dance...). Was happy to see a show in a smaller venue, next one is Kingston for me, and I suspect they'll also be a Bluesfest show. Plus, every tour I now wonder "is this the last one." Seeing at least one more this tour, but after seeing 40+ shows if this was the last one, I'd be pretty satisfied.