Concerts

RT Contest! NXNE Film Wristband Giveaway!

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Ricky in Contests, North By Northeast | Leave a comment

One of the hidden treasures I have always enjoyed about North By Northeast are the films. You might not know this, but NXNE is not just about music, but it’s also about film (and somewhat about social media). It’s a highly underrated portion of this program but one you might want to investigate.

This year’s film lineup was released last Wednesday and it is impressive to say the least. Let’s have a gander shall we?

Amos The Transparent: “Sure As The Weather” – Making A Music Video
Ages and Stages: The Story Of The Meligrove Band
The Ballad Of Hugh
Disposable Film Festival 2012 Competitive Shorts
Down: Indie Rock In The PRC
Ecstasy
Embracing Voices: The Woman Behind The Music Of Jane Bunnett
Fugitives: Wax Live
Going Deaf For Nothing – The Story of A Rock N’ Roll Band
Happily Dysfunctional: The Story of Transistor 66 Records
Jim Talks
KMS – Jewish Negroes
“Misguided” – Jennifer Castle
My Father And The Man In Black
My Hometown / I Met The Walrus
Once In A Lullaby: The PS22 Chorus Story
Så Jävla Metal – The History Of Swedish Hard Rock And Heavy Metal
Slaughter Nick For President
What Did You Expect? The Archers Of Loaf At Cat’s Cradle

For the discerning Canadian music fan, there are documentaries about Amos The Transparent, Jennifer Castle and Meligrove Band.

For the literary types, there is the screening of Ecstacy, a book by Irvine Welsh. You may recall his name as the force behind the iconic 90s movie Trainspotting. I have read a few of his books (Filth, Porno) and his type of writing is perfect for the rock and roll nature of NXNE.

For the kind of old people, there is What Did You Expect? The Archers Of Loaf At Cat’s Cradle

For the classic rock fans, there’s the John Lennon themed My Hometown / I Met The Walrus as well as the Johnny Cash themed My Father And The Man In Black

Basically, there is something for everyone. You should check it out.

Thankfully, via Flip Publicity, we have a pair of FILM wristbands to give away.

To win, you can do one or more of the following

a) Follow us on the Twitter (@panicmanual) and Retweet this post.
b) Like us on the Facebook and comment on our eventual post on it
c) E-Mail Us on the email (panic@panicmanual.com) with the subject “I want to Win NXNE FILMS” and your full name in the body
d) Write reviews for some of the films for above

Only winners will be notified.

Here is a random trailer from one of the films involved.

Concert Review: M83, May 6th, Sound Academy

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Ricky in Concerts | 2 Comments

Going to a M83 show is like entering a kaleidoscope dream where you don’t want to wake.

With neon fluorescent lighting augmenting a colorful starry night backdrop, the band’s spectacular light show coupled with their super impressive live set made the it completely worthwhile for those willing to risk live and limb heading to the Sound Academy Sunday night. As Sean Bean would say, “one simply does not go to the Sound Academy.”

M83′s most recent album, the double disc spectacular known as Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming was one of the best albums of last year and it seems like many people are catching on, as French band made the jump from the cozy Lee’s Palace to the gigantic Sound Academy in just a span of six months. The sold out all ages crowd ranged from children to older types, which had me thinking that some of the eight year olds in the crowd were definitely much cooler then I was when I was that age.

The band was exceptionally solid from start to finish, vets Anthony Gonzalez, Loïc Maurin and Morgan Kirby were as good as you would expect but new comer Jordan Lawlor was especially impressive as the non stop energizer bunny guitar player. He was all over the stage and added a nice element of surprise to the show.

The set was evenly divided between materials old and new, with classic tracks such as Graveyard Girl, Teenage angst and Sitting making an appearance. In what appears to be a role reversal from most shows, the excited crowd responded more to the new tracks then the old one, an ever clear indication of the band’s relatively new fan base. m83′s songs are a great example of quiet-loud songs done well, and the live show was no exception. The quiet parts, such as the track Wait created a sort of intimacy one normally wouldn’t expect in a crowd of three thousand while tracks like Steve McQueen created a blistering wall of sound that was one of the trademarks of earlier m83 works.

Then there was Midnight City. Arguably my (and most people’s) favorite track of 2011, Midnight City was the highlight of the show for me. As the opening notes of the track played over the speakers, the crowd erupted in a frenzy of excitement. Of course, we were all wondering – what about the sax solo? Would it be pre-recorded (some parts of the concert had pre-recorded bits) or would it be something else. Sure enough just as the sax solo part arrived, a solo saxophone player burst out from the back playing the solo in all it’s gloriousness much to everyone’s delight. Greatest part of the show.

m83′s rise to the top has been a slow journey, but with impressive festival slots and ever increasing concert venue sizes, it looks like m83 has finally arrived. Make sure you are there for the ride.

Set List

Intro
Teen Angst
Graveyard Girl
Reunion
Sitting
Year One, One UFO
We Own The Sky
Steve McQueen
Wait
Fall (Daft Punk cover)
This Bright Flash
Midnight City
A Guitar And A Heart
Encore:
Skin Of The Night
Couleurs

Concert Review: Eleanor Friedberger, Hospitality, May 4, The Garrison

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Paul in Concerts, Everything | Leave a comment

I’ve long been a fan of The Fiery Furnaces yet I’ve never had a chance to see them live. I have, however, seen FF singer Eleanor Friedberger live twice now. The first time was an instore performance at Soundscapes last summer in support of her then just released album, Last Summer. That show was a stripped down solo affair featuring Eleanor alone with an acoustic guitar and acted as a good showcase for the songs, highlighting the strong melodies. However, I was curious to see how it would sound with a full live band. Augmented by backing players, would it just end up sounding like Fiery Furnaces? The answer? Sort of but not really. Obviously because she’s the singer, there are going to be similarities, but there are enough differences evident to make this it’s own thing entirely. For this show, Friedberger was backed by a solid three piece band who helped to fill out the sound quite a bit. Especially noticeable were the guitarist’s somewhat Beatlesque leads throughout the set.

I feel I would be slightly remiss if I didn’t mention Friedberger’s unique fashion sense. Dressed like she raided a thrift store, or like some kind of cool, ex-hippie elementary school art teacher, she certainly made an impression on stage. And for the record, Eleanor did indeed put her boots on for tonight’s show.

I was also looking forward to this evening’s openers Hospitality. I had heard a bit of buzz about them, but only having heard a couple songs beforehand, I was going in more or less blind. Not knowing much in advance may have made it all the more impressive as there was an element of discovery at play as well. Singer/guitarist Amber Papini led the band through a set full of breezy, jangly, and catchy as hell indie pop. Highlights were “Friends Of Friends,” ”Argonauts” (which she dedicated to some guy in the audience who told her at the bar that it was his favourite song) and a cover of Steely Dan’s “Ricky Don’t Lose That Number,” which was interesting to me as fellow PM writer Allison had just the day before mentioned how she felt that that song was one of the most annoying to get stuck in your head (I disagreed, noting that I would actually appreciate having said song stuck in my head). It was a weird bit of serendipity for me. For everyone else, I hope they recognized it as a great interpretation of a classic tune. They certainly caught my ear with their performance and made a fan of me that night.

Concert Review: Snow Patrol and Ed Sheeran, April 17th, Massey Hall

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Wade in Concerts | Leave a comment

Ed Sheeran
(written by guest contributors Emma Blanche and Shalini Nanayakkara, two 16 year olds from Ottawa, who make the trip down the 401 to catch this show)

Massey Hall was grooving a couple of Tuesday nights ago in the presence of Irish alt-rock band Snow Patrol.

But it seemed most of the younger crowd had gathered for the opening act, a short ginger-haired acoustic bloke from Suffolk, England by the name of Ed Sheeran. He stepped on stage with only his guitar and a loop-peddle. Despite the fact that his debut album, +, isn’t released in North America until the summer, his understated “Hi” was met with many screams as he walked on stage. The young artist clearly had not expected such a boisterous crowd, asking repeatedly for his fans to “Sing don’t scream,” saying that “If singing replaced screaming the world would be a better place.” His set list included his UK hits, Give Me Love, and The A team, a moving ballad telling the story of a young woman struggling with a drug addiction. After managing to break the string on his guitar after an extended performance of his hit single You Need Me, I Dont Need You, he encouraged the audience to help him out with the rest of the song in the form of a ‘gospel choir.’ Ed later joined Snow Patrol in a performance of the band’s recent single, New York.

Here’s an Ed Sheeran video where he gets drunk with his cat.

The crowd matured considerably as Snow Patrol entered the scene – but the enthusiasm picked up after their first number, Hands Open, when Gary insisted everyone stand. The audience complied, save for a couple of boring concert goers who don’t like anything anyway. Once the show got moving, we were pleasantly surprised to find Lightbody’s voice richer and more expressive than the band’s recorded album work. His stage presence was fun and easy-going, jokingly flirting with lead guitarist Nathan Connolly and advising one surly-faced man, “If you’re happy, tell your face.” He warmed the audience by having the entire hall repeat the haunting line “shut your eyes and sing to me,” in chorus, creating a more intimate atmosphere. Adding to the band’s rich acoustics were epilepsy-inducing light sequences that accentuated the upbeat moments of the songs, as well as background graphics showcasing fitting images of eagles and snowy landscapes. The whole concert was energetic, moving, and well worth the trip down from Ottawa.