great lake swimmers

Last night I went to see the great lake swimmers at Barrymores. I had initially intended to go with a friend but a last minute change of plans resulted in a frantic attempt to find a taker for my extra ticket. Despite a concerted effort to locate someone to go along with me, I ended up going solo and gave my extra ticket away to the first people in line for the show who hadn't already purchased any. My good karma came back to me later in the evening when one of the bar staff showed up with a beer from the lucky couple as way of thanks. :) As things generally have a way of working themselves out for the best in my life, another solo woman took up the free spot next to me and we got to chatting--turns out she lives in my neighbourhood, a short walk from my house. As I spotted her walking home after the show and gave her a ride, it seemed as though we were destined to have bumped into each other at the show. Fun stuff!

The show itself was awesome. Jenn Grant opened--she was excellent. Possessing a raspy yet melodic voice that seemed to effortlessly trip up and down and draw us in, she was a fun stage presence. I ended up picking up her cd and getting her to sign it for me after the show. I will definately make an effort to catch her show again.

The main act, of course, was mesmerizing. The music lost nothing and indeed gained much in being live. It was surprising to me how the intimacy in the music that appealled to me in the first place still held, despite being performed in room full of people. I snapped a few photos and some video clips which I will post later after I download them from my camera. They played a great mix of old stuff and new, and came back for an encore.

I'm still processing a lot of the show and may have more to say later, but right now I can easily say it was the best $24 (2 x $12 tickets) I have spent on a concert in recent years. I can't wait to see them again.