Carrie Underwood in Kingston

Concert Review and Photography by Greg Kieszkowski on behalf of Pie Magazine

web:  writingwithlightstudio.ca   |   twitter:  gregk72

       Tonight was Carrie Underwood's first ever appearance in Kingston, Ontario, and she not only managed to blow through town, but held it ransom and spellbound.  The Blown Away Tour arrived with much glitter and fanfare. It was perhaps the most extravagant and glamorous event to be held in the historic city of Kingston and it is perhaps a great sign for things to come. 

The crowd was mostly female, and more often than not teens and their gracious chaperones.  I overheard one daughter tease her father that he only volunteered for the show because Carrie Underwood has such great legs.  I was unable to remain to see the debate continue or resolve itself.

It goes without saying that the girls wore titillatingly colourful Cowboy hats, and elegantly matching Cowboy boots, which were often morphed into stylish pairs of jeans.  The odd Cowboy could also be seen mingling and singing along and the thousands of fans who packed the K Rock Centre celebrated their idol all night long.  They sang every note and knew word, while dancing the night away. 

  There was tremendous anticipatory excitement which was built up by the soulful and energetic performance of Hunter Hayes. He performed a wonderful set and as a young teenage heart throb himself, was rightly the best choice to support Carrie Underwood on this tour.

It took only a few seconds for the crowd to explode with excitement when the curtain hiding the full stage finally dropped to the ground. There was a particular moment of delight when the curtain twisted in the air and for a brief moment formed a silhouette of an Angel.  It was a sign and a testament to the countless unsung workers who tirelessly contributed to this spectacular tour. 

After several hit songs, Carrie Underwood took the time to welcome her fans and told them that she had come a long way from trying to survive on American Idol. Her goal was to write and record an album that she could be proud of, and yet here she is eight years later having released her fourth recording.  She was gracious and grateful for being able to live her dream. “It wouldn’t mean nearly as much, traveling around, or playing in cool places like this, and meeting awesome people like you, if we couldn’t help out along the way”.  Carrie Underwood informed the sold out audience that a dollar from every ticket was donated to the Canadian Red Cross.  She has done this from the very beginning of the Blown Away Tour, and this is a great testament to her longevity and bright future in the music industry.

Carrie Underwood delighted the crowd with three wardrobe changes and each was special and unique in its own way.  Being granted only the first two songs, I managed only to capture her first glamorous phase.  Her best look however, was the relaxed Daisy Duke shorts, a Willie Nelson T-Shirt, and cowboy boots.  It was her best look because as she stepped on a magical diamond in the front of the stage, she and her band were lifted up above the audience and played several songs while floating from one end of the arena to the other.  She continued to entertain, sing and dance to the delight of thousands of energetically waving hands.  Suspended above the audience, Carrie Underwood told her fans that she feels all of their great energy while singing every night but on this tour she wished to be even closer to them. 

     On a personal note, I found it fascinating how seamless and how amazingly quickly this little floating raft was assembled and taken down. I fully understand why as photographers we were asked to shoot from a hundred feet away and were not granted the customary access to the pit. In a post 911 world, this undertaking was complex enough without the worry about the actions of some seemingly crazed, seductively tall, and strikingly good looking stranger, if I may so so myself. 

Carrie Underwood performed a high energy show but managed to save the most energy for the end of the show, but did not come out for an encore.  The show ran smoothly and ended at approximately 10:30 pm.  He duet with Brad Paisley, although it was virtual collaboration, drew an amazing reaction from the crowd, as did the live duet with Hunter Hayes.  Guitar-less, yet surrounded by several guitars, he proceeded to entertain the crowd with a very solid solo on an air guitar.  

With a powerful voice, an amazing stage presence and a spectacular visual presentation, Carrie Underwood came and went.  She came, she saw... and they were Blown Away.

Blue Rodeo - 25th Anniversary Tour

The twenty fifth anniversary of the release of Outskirts brought Blue Rodeo to a sold out Oshawa crowd at the General Motors Centre.  It was an evening of retrospection and a double set musing over three centuries of music 

The first big roar of the night was to the opening beat of What Am I Doing Here?  There was a great chuckle in the audience as Greg Keelor remarked that the song was written about one of the worst gigs that the band ever played.  He recalled that they “were the headline act of what seemed like the battle of High School bands.”

Although this was a sold out performance there were many empty seats.  Only after a few songs did the audience fill out.  Jim Cuddy welcomed the crowd.  “It’s Saturday night inOshawa.  I see they serve beer here.  So beer was more important than the first couple songs?  It’s alright.”

This anniversary tour is very simple.  Having walked the whole venue, there was no sign of any merchandise for sale.  This truly was a night of music and retrospection.  Blue Rodeo came to entertain their fans and thank them for twenty five years of memories and support.

As a band they have grown over the years.  On this particular evening they were a septet:  drums, piano/organ, steel guitar, lead guitar, bass, and two lyrical and melodic lead singers.  This is oversimplifying things, but as a whole Blue Rodeo played with great chemistry, energy, and exuded great joy.

The stage was beautifully lit.  The design was simple and colourful, giving just enough warmth to the industrial cold steel and concrete that we were surrounded by.  I am sure that the intoxicating herb waffling from in front of me did its part to properly warm the hearts and minds of the happy Oshawa crowd.

At the end of the first set which was followed what must have been a celebratory twenty minute intermission, the band decided to surprise Colin Cripps (lead guitarist) with a birthday cake.  He blew out the candles and was serenaded by the crowd with a warm Happy Birthday.

The second set was a quiet affair.  The band unplugged their instruments to treat the crowd to an acoustic set.  They sat together at the front of the stage and performed some new songs from their forthcoming album this fall.  The new songs were well received by the audience. 

There were two highlights of the acoustic set.  The first was the song One Light Left in Heaven.  It was simple, melodic, and tearful.  Jim Cuddy’s voice pierced and boomed throughout the venue.  The second highlight was the acoustic rendition by Greg Keelor of Dark Angel.  It provided a perfect balance and showed why Blue Rodeo continues to echo our Canadian consciousness.

The band ended their acoustic set and led the crowed with some favourites and sing-a-longs.  They were joined on stage by Wayne Petti from Cuff the Duke.  After the first song, Jim Cuddy humorously asked for some distance between Wayne and Greg, as they were becoming a distraction through their closeness.

There was a great Oshawa Choir in the sold out arena, but it took a few encouraging words from Greg Keelor to get there.  He told the audience that they needed to “make their head ring like a bell, and make their genital sing.” 

Lost Together was the closing number in the first encore and it left everyone satisfied and happy.  I am sure the beer and organic air had something to do with it as well, but all credit must be given to Blue Rodeo.  The second encore was an acoustic performance by Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor.  It showed their great friendship and partnership.  It hinted of things to come.

Leonard Cohen on Tour (in Kingston)

The crowd sat quietly awaiting their muse. I realized early that this was not the typical beer and weed crowd I am so accustomed to running into as a live performance photographer. An announcer gently proclaimed to the faithful that the “show would commence in ten minutes”, and he gently repeated his message with five minutes left to go. There were no big burly bouncers at the front of the stage, and there was no roadies busying themselves with final touch ups. The setting was brightly lit and quiet, awaiting and longing, for darkness and sound.

The crowd finally cheered and enthusiastically welcomed their hero to the stage. Leonard Cohen, dressed in a sharp black suit and a Stetson hat took the microphone and Danced the audience to the End of Love. He often sang with his eyes closed, sharing the same emotions he must have felt so long ago, reconnecting with his adoring fans. Near the end of the opening song he knelt next to Javier Mas, serenading his guitar.

Unlike other shows, one song is all we were granted to shoot as photographers, but somehow that was enough. I often feel that I am often intruding on an intimate moment between two lovers; the artist, and his beloved.

The show was very formal and theatrical. Leonard Cohen was extremely grateful to be on tour, and continued to thank each one of his accomplished musicians several times throughout the evening. He took his hat off to every single member of his great international ensemble.

One of the biggest reactions early on in the show was to the hit Everybody Knows. Leonard Cohen’s voice continues to be hauntingly deep and rich. It is amazing how closely he reproduces his recordings in a live setting. He sang about what is wrong with the world with great precision and emotion. It is also here that the audience had a chance to be treated to a beautiful twelve string solo by Spanish guitarist Javier Mas. He was magnificent and deserved a night of his own.

Leonard Cohen had a wonderfully honest conversation with the crowd throughout the show. He apologized for forcing everyone to listen to his melancholy thoughts. “I wake up every morning and I look in the mirror and I say to myself. Lighten up Leonard. Life is not that bad”, he told the audience.

The most moving moment of the night came when he recited his poem For Those Who Greeted Me. It is the inspiration and served as the introduction for a Thousand Kisses Deep. I reproduce it here in full because it is filled with great depth and moving imagery. To be completely candid, I arrived as a photographer and reviewer, but I left different. I left with tremendous respect and admiration for our Canadian icon. It saddens me that I haven’t been exposed to his great work earlier.

For Those Who Greeted Me

You came to me this morning
And you handled me like meat.
You´d have to live alone to know
How good that feels, how sweet.
My mirror twin, my next of kin,
I´d know you in my sleep.
And who but you would take me in
A thousand kisses deep?

I loved you when you opened
Like a lily to the heat.
I´m just another snowman
Standing in the rain and sleet,
Who loved you with his frozen love
His second-hand physique -
With all he is, and all he was
A thousand kisses deep.

All soaked in sex, and pressed against
The limits of the sea:
I saw there were no oceans left
For scavengers like me.
We made it to the forward deck
I blessed our remnant fleet -
And then consented to be wrecked
A thousand kisses deep.

I know you had to lie to me,
I know you had to cheat.
But the Means no longer guarantee
The Virtue in Deceit.
That truth is bent, that beauty spent,
That style is obsolete -
Ever since the Holy Spirit went
A thousand kisses deep.

(So what about this Inner Light
That´s boundless and unique?
I´m slouching through another night
A thousand kisses deep.)

I´m turning tricks; I´m getting fixed,
I´m back on Boogie Street.
I tried to quit the business -
Hey, I´m lazy and I´m weak.
But sometimes when the night is slow,
The wretched and the meek,
We gather up our hearts and go
A thousand kisses deep.

(And fragrant is the thought of you,
The file on you complete -
Except what we forgot to do
A thousand kisses deep.)

The ponies run, the girls are young,
The odds are there to beat.
You win a while, and then it´s done -
Your little winning streak.
And summoned now to deal
With your invincible defeat,
You live your life as if it´s real
A thousand kisses deep.

(I jammed with Diz and Dante -
I did not have their sweep -
But once or twice, they let me play
A thousand kisses deep.)

And I´m still working with the wine,
Still dancing cheek to cheek.
The band is playing "Auld Lang Syne" -
The heart will not retreat.
And maybe I had miles to drive,
And promises to keep -
You ditch it all to stay alive
A thousand kisses deep.

And now you are the Angel Death
And now the Paraclete;
And now you are the Savior's Breath
And now the Belsen heap.
No turning from the threat of love,
No transcendental leap -
As witnessed here in time and blood
A thousand kisses deep.

The poem is very reminiscent of Dylan Thomas’ villanelle Do not go gentle into that Good Night, and Robert Frost’s Stopping in the woods on a Snowy Evening. The melancholy images did not win the evening and all was not lost. Leonard Cohen offered a touching moment of hope when he exclaimed that “there is a crack in everything, but that’s how the light gets in”.

After a brief twenty minute break, Leonard Cohen returned to the stage. It was a well deserved break as he went on to play, past curfew, for over three and a half hours. Upon his return, the audience was asked where oh where they had learned their sense of compassion, and were told that the rich have their channels in the bedrooms of the poor. This is quite the image to ponder in the quiet corners of our hearts.

I’m Your Man drew a great reaction and a few laughs, and Halleluja brought everyone to their feet. Everyone embraced the star of the evening in a standing ovation and no one wanted to leave. Eventually though, it was time to go, but I believe everyone took a little bit of Leonard Cohen home with them.

Theory of a Deadman and Big Wreck rock GMC

Big Wreck and Theory of a Deadman played the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, on Friday, November 30th.  The arena was not filled to capacity, which is disappointing, as these are two phenomenal Canadian acts. Their songs are very melodious and infectious.  These are our musicians, and it was wonderful to see them on the same bill.

This was not a Bieberesque song and dance.  There were no gimmicks.  There was no pyrotechnics.  There was not even a smoke machine in the venue.  There was no elaborate stage set up, just the simplicity of colour in lights.  Each band hung their own banner and performed on a wide open stage.  The rest was just music.

I didn't have a chance to obtain a reviewer pass, so these are just some of my impressions from the pit.  The lighting was simply beautiful, and the leading men fun and expressive.

John Fogerty @ General Motors Centre

First time that I saw you

Ohh, you took my breath away

I might not get to heaven

But I walked with the angels that day

                      - Joy of My Life

John Fogerty left his audience with some remarkable memories.  The Looking Out My Back Door tour arrived at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa with enlightening images, and breath taking effects, but it was the heart of the performer that won the night.

There was something different about this evening.  The crowd was older, but one could see a sprinkle of young people throughout the arena, and they were all singing along together and dancing just as passionately.

The audience welcomed their six string hero with a standing ovation.  He in turn, through his iconic voice and haunting guitar solos kept them on their feet.

We all learned that John Fogerty practices four hours a day and runs six miles every morning which shows that his dedication to his music, and the respect to his fans is unparallel in a music industry that often rewards and manufactures musical caricatures.  He walked and run the wide stage throughout the whole evening in order to share his moment with fans, no matter where fate managed to place them. 

He also told them stories. 

He recalled Woodstock and how excited he was to play that festival.  CCR was scheduled to take the stage on Saturday, at 9:30pm.  As a young man he was very excited but nobody told him CCR would follow the Grateful Dead.  The show ran late.  The Grateful Dead began their set at midnight and were interrupted when all the sound went dead.  When they were finished it was 2:30 in the morning.  “I saw a lot of people that looked like me, except they were naked and asleep” he told the crowd.  There was only one fan with a lighter who urged them to play.  The band played on and John Fogerty wondered who would stop the rain?

The evening was very retrospective.  John Fogerty whispered I love you to his daughter Julie at the end of his performance of Joy of my Life.  He dedicated Have you ever seen the rain?  to his daughter Kelsey.  He explained that there is no mistaking it for a sad song, but he no longer thinks and writes about the rain, but rather lives for the rainbow.

The fight with the record company is now behind him and John Fogerty is looking to the future and enjoying the present.  The tour continues and those who are lucky to flood the arenas will have memories to share for the ages.