Yesterday was a fantastic day for music - from the weather to the acts.
We saw a bit of the "She's the One" contest. Anne Vriend, who eventually won, was great.
Camp Radio from Ottawa was superb. I had never heard of them before, but they impressed. They were like Dinosaur, Jr., with much of their songs reminiscent of "Farm".
Justin Townes Earle was great. The guy behind me asked him to play "Can't Hardly Wait", and JTE replied, "Don't tell me what to play. I'm a professional. You have to trust me." Of course, JTE closed the set with "Can't Hardly Wait".
Amadou and Miriam created a great dancing atmosphere with their take on Afrobeat. The crowd was pretty good, dancing the rhythms and music.
Fitz and the Tantrums put on a really good show. The crowd was fantastic. The band was energetic, lively, and engaging.
We were close enough for Neko's case, as we were able to worm our way relatively close. Her set was fine, but she's better off on the smaller, more intimate stages. The other problem was the crowd. All the Dixie Chicks fans sitting in their lawn chairs did not help create an environment conducive for a live show.
I only caught a bit of Belle and Sebastian, but missed the dancing part. My wife stayed for the whole thing and said they were tremendous. Ugh, too bad I missed most of their show.
I left early to get a good spot for Sharon Van Etten with my friend. Her show was a lot harder than I first saw her. My friend from NYC, who has seen her several times, said that was the most rocking show he's seen her play. Great show. I would like to see her extend some songs with jams. Nonetheless, I was not disappointed.
At that show, a young lady who was quite drunk kept on yelling things, such as, "Did you eat a bug?" She was pleasant enough, although a bit annoying at times. However, SVE played a long. My wife and I met her when she was first here, and she is really nice and genuine.
Today, it's suppose to pour rain so dress appropriately.
