Sticking to the Story
When Eli and I first met we talked, as people getting to know each other often do, about music. In one of those conversations he asked me to pick one band or artist who was my absolute favourite and explain why. I pondered that difficult question, weighed various genres of music, thought about whose music *really* made me swoon inside and settled on Luna. Why? The lyrics, the chords, the fact that it was the perfect music for making out to or road tripping or dancing or pretty much anything. Yes, Luna was my favourite band but sadly they broke up in February 2005 so (sob, sob) I'd never get to see them live.
Fast forward to 2006 when I delighfully learned that two of the main contributors to Luna (Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips) had started a new project called Dean and Britta! Now, imagine my even greater delight at learning that they would be playing in Toronto on March 12th! Eeeeeeeeeeee! Excitedly, we bought tickets and I counted the days until the show.
Finally, the night arrived and after a delicious meal of sushi and white wine we headed to Mod Club for the show. We entered the room just as the opening band was finishing. The room was sparsely filled but I was happy about that because it allowed us to get up really close to the stage and enjoy the show without being suffocated by swarms of people. Britta came out first in a Nancy Sinantra-esque black dress. She wore high boots and looked as gorgeous in real life as in all her press photos. She is a stunning, stunning woman and everyone (guy and girl alike) noticed.
The set began and I was captivated from the very first notes to the very end ones. Dean and Britta have a warm sound that is soulful and sweet at the same time. Britta's sultry voice blends together perfectly with Dean's while lush chords fill all the empty spaces. The music is dreamy and ethereal but I wouldn't classify it as simple pop music. There are subtle complexities to the music that provide substance. I swayed and danced and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. After the show I lurked around the stage for a bit and when Dean and Britta came out to gather up their guitars I nervously asked them to sign my cd. They were both gracious and friendly and it capped off a wonderful evening.
The Mod Club has spectacular, clear sound and it has easily become my favourite Toronto venue to see shows. Tomorrow night we'll be heading back there to see Booka Shade! It still astounds me how many amazing artists come to Toronto ALL the time. Eli and I find ourselves having to be choosy about which shows we go to because it is impossible to attend everything we want to. On many weekend evenings we have to negotiate what we'll attend and usually have several options on the table. I just wish that we had more friends to take along with us.
Making friends in a large city is difficult. On many occasions we've been out to shows and have spotted people who 'look' like people we'd want to be friends with. Of course, you can only gather so much information based on people's appearances but some people exude certain vibes/energies that appear to mesh with ours. We are never sure what to do in those situations and often do nothing at all. It's awkward to just strike up conversations with strangers and people here definitely seem less receptive to that. It's *somewhat* easier to chat with people at electronic music venues because there seems to be more of a widely accepted friendliness for the most part in that scene but I am often shy even in that situation because I don't want people to assume I'm high on some drug.
I've never had problems making friends before but Toronto has been a challenge. I know that I just have to get myself involved in communities/classes/groups that are filled with the kind of people that I'd like to be friends with. I think the spring/summer will be a much better time for this when people come out of hibernation. I have to start perusing the local papers for events that resonate with me and go be sociable. The solution is easy yet it's also so hard! I'd love to hear from other people who have gone through relocation. How did you find a community to connect with? How did you make that connection?
Remember remember
I'm sticking to my story
Remember remember
It's all that I have left
- Luna
Fast forward to 2006 when I delighfully learned that two of the main contributors to Luna (Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips) had started a new project called Dean and Britta! Now, imagine my even greater delight at learning that they would be playing in Toronto on March 12th! Eeeeeeeeeeee! Excitedly, we bought tickets and I counted the days until the show.
Finally, the night arrived and after a delicious meal of sushi and white wine we headed to Mod Club for the show. We entered the room just as the opening band was finishing. The room was sparsely filled but I was happy about that because it allowed us to get up really close to the stage and enjoy the show without being suffocated by swarms of people. Britta came out first in a Nancy Sinantra-esque black dress. She wore high boots and looked as gorgeous in real life as in all her press photos. She is a stunning, stunning woman and everyone (guy and girl alike) noticed.
The set began and I was captivated from the very first notes to the very end ones. Dean and Britta have a warm sound that is soulful and sweet at the same time. Britta's sultry voice blends together perfectly with Dean's while lush chords fill all the empty spaces. The music is dreamy and ethereal but I wouldn't classify it as simple pop music. There are subtle complexities to the music that provide substance. I swayed and danced and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. After the show I lurked around the stage for a bit and when Dean and Britta came out to gather up their guitars I nervously asked them to sign my cd. They were both gracious and friendly and it capped off a wonderful evening.
The Mod Club has spectacular, clear sound and it has easily become my favourite Toronto venue to see shows. Tomorrow night we'll be heading back there to see Booka Shade! It still astounds me how many amazing artists come to Toronto ALL the time. Eli and I find ourselves having to be choosy about which shows we go to because it is impossible to attend everything we want to. On many weekend evenings we have to negotiate what we'll attend and usually have several options on the table. I just wish that we had more friends to take along with us.
Making friends in a large city is difficult. On many occasions we've been out to shows and have spotted people who 'look' like people we'd want to be friends with. Of course, you can only gather so much information based on people's appearances but some people exude certain vibes/energies that appear to mesh with ours. We are never sure what to do in those situations and often do nothing at all. It's awkward to just strike up conversations with strangers and people here definitely seem less receptive to that. It's *somewhat* easier to chat with people at electronic music venues because there seems to be more of a widely accepted friendliness for the most part in that scene but I am often shy even in that situation because I don't want people to assume I'm high on some drug.
I've never had problems making friends before but Toronto has been a challenge. I know that I just have to get myself involved in communities/classes/groups that are filled with the kind of people that I'd like to be friends with. I think the spring/summer will be a much better time for this when people come out of hibernation. I have to start perusing the local papers for events that resonate with me and go be sociable. The solution is easy yet it's also so hard! I'd love to hear from other people who have gone through relocation. How did you find a community to connect with? How did you make that connection?
Remember remember
I'm sticking to my story
Remember remember
It's all that I have left
- Luna
posted by Leah at
9:30 p.m.
3 Comments:
what did eli think of the show? i know often i have told people "this is the most amazing band ever!" and taken them to see shows and afterward they were like "eh....." and then i felt like something had been lost between us.
I've met people through school (ie, your writing class coming up) the internet (forums and chat or friend boards) and finally biting the bullet and talking to familiar strangers at my coffee shop hang outs or whatever. Running clubs! Seminars! etc etc. Good luck Miss Leah.
amy - eli liked the show. for the last year i've saturated him in lots of luna so he knew what he was in for. given that he's in the music business, he's much harder to impress but he gave the show a thumbs up!
kelly - it's good to hear from you :)
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