2005-10-20 - 0:44

Dehiatusize

It has been so long since I updated that I'm already halfway to again seeing the subject of my last post, Contoller.Controller. (I told you that they came to Ottawa a lot.)

As usual, the notables since my last writing include concerts. Although I've been slacking here, I have updated my other site, keeping up with my reviews.

As expected, the Brother Ali concert was another triumph. His voice seemed to be giving him trouble early in the night but he was as intense as ever, battling through to deliver another stellar performance.

The following weekend saw two shows. Saturday was The White Stripes in Montreal. Although the band moved up to the Bell Centre, we had floor tickets; and I ended up having as much fun (and getting at least as close to the stage) as when I previously saw them play at the Metropolis. "Death Letter" and "Ball and Biscuit" were particularly strong.

On a more mellow note, the next night saw Sigur R�s come to Ottawa. The stifling heat in the Bronson Centre and the seated nature of the concert were an invitation to drift off during the spacier moments but the music actually proved to be quite captivating. I'm not even a Sigur R�s fan but I thought that they were great live.

To a lesser extent, the same holds true for the Metric concert that closed September. I attended mainly to see The Lovely Feathers, who again impressed me. Although I was hoping to hear some familiar songs, the band instead delivered a set comprised almost entirely of new material. Fortunately, those new songs sounded very good and the band was every bit as energetic as last time. I also enjoyed Jason Collett's smooth showcase and Metric's headlining set.

Most recently, I saw Judas Priest and Anthrax at the Corel Centre, with each band sporting reunited line-ups. Unfortunately, my enjoyment for this concert was marred by the fact that the floor was actually seated, keeping me well away from the action. I had a much better time seeing Anthrax headline a club show in Montreal a couple of years ago, with John Bush on vocals. Ah well. They still deserve full credit for their playing, even if the venue was a let-down.

The astute will notice that I didn't mention The New Pornographers. I ended up not making it to Montreal for that one, even though they've never before (or since?) toured with the full line-up and even though I'm sure I missed a hell of a show. Meh.

On the plus side, Broken Social Scene is here tomorrow; and I have a few other shows lined up. (It has also been a killer stretch for CD releases but that's another story.)

In non-music news, the past month also included Laurie's birthday and a Thanksgiving vist from Stacy and Todd. Prior to that, Laurie finally got me to paint the hallway, which hopefully means that we're done painting for a while.

I've also been trying to tidy up outside, although the weather has been an obstacle. I think that we got October's entire allotment of sunshine in one ridiculously warm burst at the start of the month, as it has been non-stop greyness and rain ever since (including that Thanksgiving visit). There was enough of a break that I managed to get someone in to fix my chimney; but another nice weekend would really help.

On the other hand, the crappy weather does make for a good reason to stay inside and play board games and cards. I even managed to squeak out a win in Power Grid on Sunday. I am overdue for some Scrabble, though. I think that people are ducking me.

Oh yes, it's also good that hockey's back. I'll keep you posted when we win the pool (again).

J.