Tag: Live music

Live music galleries: The War on Drugs [2023]

Post author By jprobichaud
Post date December 11, 2023
2 Comments on Live music galleries: The War on Drugs [2023]

(I got the idea for this series while sifting through the ‘piles’ of digital photos on my laptop. It occurred to me to share some of these great pics from some of my favourite concert sets from time to time. Until I get around to the next one, I invite you to peruse my ever-growing list of concerts page.)

The War on Drugs live at Ottawa Bluesfest 2023

Artist: The War on Drugs
When: July 13th, 2023
Where: RBC stage, Ottawa Bluesfest, Lebreton Flats Park, Ottawa
Context: Immediately after the end of Bluesfest back in July, I posted pics from the Fleet Foxes set, calling it my favourite of the fest. But I caught a lot of great performances at this year’s festival, another big favourite being a mid-evening Thursday night spot by The War on Drugs. I had already seen the big-sounding rock band led by Adam Granduciel nine years before, but I had remembered how great they were live and couldn’t pass up seeing them again. Of the ten songs they performed, half were from their latest record, “I don’t live here anymore”, and though this wasn’t my favourite of the band’s works, those five songs infused with the WoD live energy became a different animal altogether. They were onstage for just over an hour and fifteen minutes and barely spoke to the crowd and in fact, they barely paused between songs. They just kept up the rock and the crowd ate it up. This blogger included.
Point of reference song: “I don’t live here anymore”

Adam Granduciel and Jon Natchez

Anthony LaMarca and Eliza Hardy Jones

David Hartley and Charlie Hall

Robbie Bennett on the keys

Frontman Adam crooning away

Tags Adam Granduciel, Alternative, Alternative Rock, American rock, Dad rock, Live, Live music, Music festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, Psychedelic rock, The War on Drugs

Live music galleries

Live music galleries: The Cure [2013]

Post author By jprobichaud
Post date November 23, 2023
2 Comments on Live music galleries: The Cure [2013]

The Cure live at Osheaga 2013

Artist: The Cure
When: August 2nd, 2013
Where: River stage, Osheaga, Jean Drapeau Park, Montreal
Context: I was doing this thing in the spring and early summer this year, posting pics from some of the great sets* I caught at Montreal’s Osheaga music festival back in 2013: a sort of ten year anniversary celebration of a great weekend spent with music and friends. However, I never got around to what was possibly my favourite set of the whole weekend, something I’ve decided to remedy before this year was up.

I had seen The Cure once before back in 2000 for their Bloodflowers tour but this time, it was ultimately more satisfying because the setlist was so wonderfully mixed. The night was cool and pleasant and Robert Smith was at the top of his game, sounding as he did in his prime, but perhaps performing with more joy than he ever had back then. It was a wondrous two hour set, playing everything any fans would ever want to hear. It seemed like it could, and would, go on forever. In fact, festival organizers had to cut the sound just near the end of “Boy’s don’t cry” after the band had gone on way past curfew.
Point of reference song: “Boys don’t cry”

Robert Smith from far away

Reeves Gabrels and Jasson Cooper

Roger O’Donnell

Reeves Gabrels and Robert Smith

Robert Smith closeup

*Past galleries from this festival weekend have included the following:

Tags Alternative, Alternative Rock, British rock, Goth, Icons, Live, Live music, Music festival, Osheaga, Post-Punk, Robert Smith, The Cure

Live music galleries

Live music galleries: Fleet Foxes [2023]

Post author By jprobichaud
Post date July 17, 2023
1 Comment on Live music galleries: Fleet Foxes [2023]

Fleet Foxes at Ottawa Bluesfest 2023

Artist: Fleet Foxes
When: July 14th, 2023
Where: River stage, Ottawa Bluesfest, Lebreton Flats Park, Ottawa
Context: Well that’s it folks! Last night ended off another successful Ottawa Bluesfest – the local, annual marathon of live music. Out of a possible nine nights, I managed to attend seven and in that time, witnessed a great many sets. There were no disappointments and plenty of pleasant surprises. For me, it was hard to pick a favourite but wanting to do one post to signal my general satisfaction with another return to the festival, I’ve selected Friday’s night side-stage headlining set by Seattle’s indie folk heroes, Fleet Foxes. This selection has as much to do with the fact that this here was one of the few bands on the bill that I wanted to see and hadn’t yet seen before. I’d been following the group for a near fifteen years already and their set list did a great job representing all of their releases, including the recent collaboration they did with Big Red Machine (see below song). It wasn’t a very showy set, low on theatrics and pyrotechnics but huge on groove and ambience. I was so completely into the feels and lost in the tunes that very little else mattered but that moment. I later read that it seemed that the Foxes had drawn a larger crowd to the festival’s smallest stage than had the pop-singing headliner on the main stage but I didn’t even notice. It all felt so warm and intimate and well, great.
Point of reference song: “Phoenix (with Big Red Machine)”