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On Wednesday night I saw Imogen Heap perform at Massey Hall in Toronto.

I was blown away.

Her two opening acts, Levi Weaver and Kid Beyond were outstanding. They then joined Imogen on stage for a few songs, along with two other musicians, and together they rocked the house.

If you haven’t heard about any of these three artists, let me explain something first. All three artists perform by sampling. They use a sampler and record beats, melodies, harmonies, and various sounds live, then replay those sounds on a loop while they record other sequences and start to layer each sound on top of the other. The end result is a musical composition that was recorded live and features various instruments and sounds that were all performed by that one person.

So, for example, Imogen will sing a line of lyrics and record it. Then while that sequence is played on a loop, she sings it once again but at a different pitch, and then once more again, and she becomes her own chorus singing in harmony.

In all honesty, the only way you can understand is if you see it for yourself. This video was recorded by someone at her performance on Tuesday in Montreal. It isn’t the best, but you can see Kid Beyond beatboxing, and Imogen layering a few sounds - look for when she layers her vocals near the end.

What I loved about Imogen, beyond her talent, was the personality that she conveyed. She handled all the technical difficulties with grace and bits of British humour. Her random mumbling actually came across as charming but that may have to do with myself being a mumbler at times.

Best of all, at certain points she danced and skipped across the stage barefoot, spinning around in her lovely dress, and having the time of her life while she sang. That was just wonderful to witness and brought a huge smile to my face.

Makes me want to go skipping around now myself!

We saw John Mayer again yesterday for free at Yonge and Dundas Square - thanks to Best Buy. It was wonderful to see and hear the man and his band rock it out in an outdoor concert. It was a different atmosphere but they did very well and I left completely satisfied and impressed

I was disturbed by the mass marketing scheme Best Buy was doing and refused to take part (though I guess I should be thankful because they gave me a free concert). They handed out flags, t-shirts, and coupons. People were like rabid animals racing for the free stuff and it really bothered me.

I sat on the floor for as long as I could because of my ankle and a few songs into the concert I came to the conclusion that the slight pain I was feeling was worth it. I was happy to have recorded some songs onto my phone but not so happy to find that my camera is malfunctioning. I can no longer record videos… I’ve already sent off an e-mail to Canon for some help.

Thanks Sarah and Em for the fun day .

On Monday, August 21st, Sarah and I went to see John Mayer at the Mod Club in Toronto.

It was a small and intimate show with a crowd of about 600 people (fan club members only) and it was brilliant. Somehow I had forgotten how amazing it is to watch and hear that man play his music. He makes love to his guitar, shakes you to the core with his vocals and his guitar riffs, and you are left standing there in awe. His band is just as talented and together they make some amazing music.

Every time he puts out an album I mention how it’s like he writes and sings the soundtrack of my life. Each and every song reminds me of some moment in time, some experience, some person, some emotion – just something that has passed through my life. Standing in that audience, in fourth row, I heard some classic songs as well as some new ones from his upcoming release. I couldn’t stop the shivers running down my spine as I realized with absolute certainty that once again it is true: the man is singing my life with his words.

And from what I have heard of the new album, just as I am moving on in life, maturing, and seeing things in a different light, so is he. And his music is definitely growing along with him. I love it.

What a wonderful show put on by a group of very talented performers. Kudos to a crowd that was just chill, and there for what matters the most: the music. I have some great pictures and a ton of amazing videos. Check back here for links to the videos soon.