Skinny LOVED.

Bon Iver
Guests: Other Lives
The Orpheum Theatre
September 25th, 2011

I attended the Bon Iver show with a friend of mine, she has this incredible blog and I think you should have a look and follow her!

Other Lives open the show with their experimental folk-rock blend. It's hard to describe their music because it sounds so grand. I thoroughly enjoyed their set.

Justin Vernon, the singer-songwriter and musical mind behind Bon Iver stood centre stage with eight accompanying musicians. Two drum-sets, various percussive instruments, several guitars, a bass guitar, and a baritone saxophone were among the various instruments being played. In the middle of Bon Iver's set, they began to play 'Bloodline,' the title track from their 2009 EP, and the song that drew me into Justin Vernon's ability to draw such emotion and nerve from such a simple song. I was hooked.

The last song they played before the encore was 'Skinny Love,' this was a crowd pleaser, for sure. Justin sat with a guitar surrounded by his band-mates who offered acapella vocals to the chorus. I sat up a little straighter in my seat, on edge. My ears were eager to hear the infamous chorus that I had hummed and mouthed along to earnestly so many months before. "I told you to be patient, I told you to be fine, I told you to be balanced, I told you to be kind..." As the song begins and the audience begins to be swayed, out of the corner of my eye I see a small flash of light. The man seated in front of me is proposing to his girlfriend during 'Skinny Love.' Cute. She said yes.

For the encore they played 'Wolves' from their 2007 release For Emma, Forever Ago. Its' infectious repetitive one line chorus, "What might have been lost" sung by the audience and Justin Vernon was left ringing in our ears.
We all sang along to a heart-wrenching yet beautiful song, my favourite moment of the night.

Killed It.

I attended The Kills show at The Commodore on Sept, 5th. It was the second time I had seen them in the same venue. Let's just say Allison Mosshart and Jamie Hince performed with the same rock swagger, stagger and class. Brilliant rock show.

Marina Abramović - Rhythm 0 (1974)

(Photos from moma.org)

After I had taken an Art History class at my College, I began to pay more detailed attention to the impact and meaning visual art can produce.

I had spent the past half-hour trying to put into word how I feel about a renowned performance artist by the name of Marina Abramović and her Rhythm 0, 1974 piece.
Listening to this description and an excerpt of her own experiences left me speechless, and dumfounded.
LISTEN HERE.

"To test the limits of the relationship between performer and audience, Abramović developed one of her most challenging (and best-known) performances. She assigned a passive role to herself, with the public being the force which would act on her.

Abramović had placed upon a table 72 objects that people were allowed to use (a sign informed them) in any way that they chose. Some of these were objects that could give pleasure, while others could be wielded to inflict pain, or to harm her. Among them were a rose, a feather, honey, a whip, scissors, a scalpel, a gun and a single bullet. For six hours the artist allowed the audience members to manipulate her body and actions.

Initially, members of the audience reacted with caution and modesty, but as time passed (and the artist remained impassive) people began to act more aggressively. As Abramović described it later:

“What I learned was that... if you leave it up to the audience, they can kill you.” ... “I felt really violated: they cut up my clothes, stuck rose thorns in my stomach, one person aimed the gun at my head, and another took it away. It created an aggressive atmosphere. After exactly 6 hours, as planned, I stood up and started walking toward the audience. Everyone ran away, to escape an actual confrontation."

What the average person would do to a stranger when they are given absolute power is chilling. It makes you wonder if by chance that you may become helpless, if people would lend a hand, or perhaps a gun instead.

This Hits Me Like A Rock

CSS - Hits Me Like A Rock


CSS are playing at VENUE in Vancouver this Saturday, and well I'm hoping to attempt these dance moves at the show. I am beyond excited for this show.

Adieu

Coeur de Pirate - Adieu


I'd been an avid listener of Beatrice Martin's project for over a year now, and I am anticipating the release of her second album this year! This is a video clip of her video 'Adieu' --- cute.