Toronto Culture

Picking up after the wedding post, I got back into Mississauga around lunch time and got Kyle from his cousin’s. We ended up driving downtown because of timing issues after the concert: with the show going to 10:45 and the last GO bus leaving Union at 11:20, that just wasn’t going to happen with factoring in crowds for the ferries. It also turned out that Kyle had a shift the next day and needed to catch the 1 a.m. bus back to Sudbury. So we shelled out $20 for parking, which is more than it would have cost us combined for some roundtrips on the GO.

Despite the crazy heat of the day, the only time we were really stuck in it was while waiting for the ferry to get us to the islands. Once there, plenty of shade could be found and while the prime spots were already taken we found reasonable places close to the stage at various times. For some of the earlier acts we wandered the island a bit, before settling in to pay more attention to the music. I remember being impressed with The Most Serene Republic, so I’ll definitely have to track down some of their stuff. It might be the same with Do Make Say Think, but I honestly don’t remember my reaction to them. I wasn’t all that impressed with Metric, although they seemed to have a following in the crowd; it wasn’t until they finished off their set with Dead Disco that I realized I had heard of them before.

After some too-expensive dinner, we made our way closer to the stage for a better view of the final two groups. Broken Social Scene, who were basically the hosts for the show, put on a fun live set. Even their basic stuff often involves multiple singers and an array of musicians, but when guest vocalists and the brass section all join in, it’s like a big, family event. Add to that the crowd of friends and family on the wings, it makes for a pretty cool atmosphere and you can really tell how much the group enjoys it all.

Modest Mouse capped things off and definitely rocked out the most. They were noticeably edgier and more intense compared to listening to the songs right off the record, but equally good. It’s actually rather impressive that their sound can go from somewhat laid-back to something heavier for a live gig and not sound like a weird cover of themselves.

All in all, I enjoyed the afternoon/evening. There was a similar show at Olympic Island last year with Broken Social Scene, Sam Roberts (and possibly Sloan??) that I had thoughts of going to while I was in Toronto, but didn’t make it. Perhaps BSS & Friends will be back next year; if so I’ll definitely try to check it out again. And barring a downpour, the venue makes for a nice, shady hang-out in the summertime for listening to good music.

A couple of nights later involved a rather different musical experience. Luke, Jen, and I made our way to Roy Thompson Hall for the Star Wars Concert, performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Erich Kunzel (apparently he’s famous). As if that weren’t enough, Anthony Daniels – Mr. C-3PO himself – narrated the SW saga between pieces. They summarized the story well – although for some reason, a certain protocol droid was often cast in a very flattering light — tying everything together with a two hour performance of music from all six movies. Understandably, it was Original Trilogy-heavy, with the more well-known and endearing pieces featured prominently. I was pleasantly surprised at how often Duel of the Fates showed up: as the final Episode I selection, a bit done after intermission, then again during the encore. It’s good to see that one of my favorites is thought highly of by the ‘professionals’. Another highlight was Cantina Band showing up as part of the encore (after Jen had noticed it wasn’t part of the listed lineup). What a cool show!

So I’ve got to take more advantage of the variety of stuff to do in Toronto. I’ve got my eye on geeking out on movies at the Film Festival in a couple of months, and have chatted briefly with Mike about that. There’s also the Lord of the Rings musical debuting in Toronto in the spring; Sakina and I have decided we must go, although it’s a pretty pricey bit of entertainment. Anyone else interested in this stuff should let me know.