Live Baby Live

May 5, 2008 @ The Phoenix - Toronto, ON

Swedish pop musician Robyn hit Toronto last week for her first performance in our fair city in 10 years, in support of her 2005 release Robyn, which was just issued in North America at the end of this past April. From the second she walked on stage, she had the crowd (at the front, at least) in hysterics, with constant shouts of “I love you!” and “OMG! OMG! I’m so close!!”–most of which came from the gentlemen in the crowd.

To be perfectly honest, I knew very little of Robyn, give or take a few songs, but heard she put on a fantastic show and was not to be missed. As she launched into “Cobrastyle” you could feel her intense energy, which, aside from a few slower moments in the middle, carried through her entire set. I could see immediately why she was so adored, with her endearing smile and fun dance moves.

On a photography note, this was a tough one. Robyn didn’t seem to be a fan of light at all. Quite opposite to what is usually the case, she was very dimly lit while her band mates were lit up like Christmas trees. I shot 1/60th of a second the entire time and was lucky to come out with anything usable, given how much she moves around.

More Robyn photos here.

Last week Welsh “it girl” Duffy played her first show in Toronto to a sold out Mod Club crowd. Opening with her first single, title track “Rockferry,” she worked her way through her entire album in about an hour, which made for a short evening since there was no opening band. While many are calling Duffy the next Amy Winehouse, her voice sounds similar, but her musical range isn’t quite as varied just yet and aside from a few songs, most felt the same as the next. She also seemed to have a canned set of movements on stage, but given that she’s just recently been plucked from obscurity it’s easy to forgive, since she’s still in that phase of finding her footing (literally).

Overall, the concert was a pleasant experience and the audience gave her a very warm Canadian welcome. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her back in town in the near future.

Duffy gallery here.

Recently retired Canadian band Lowest of the Low was honoured at the Canadian Music Week Indie Awards this past weekend with an induction into the Indies Hall of Fame. While the band officially broke up this past December, they came out for a special performance at the Royal York’s Canadian Room Saturday evening. Things got off to a slightly shaky start, and singer Ron Hawkins admitted to being a little rusty, having to begin the first song over again. No matter, though, as it added to the charm of the performance–as did the invitation Hawkins extended to a long time fan to join them on stage for the show. They only played a few songs, but it was clear that they were enjoying themselves. Shamefully, it was the only time I’d ever seen the band in action, and now I’m kicking myself for never getting out to see them before.

Lowest of the Low gallery here.