Category Archives: Confessions of a Concertgoer

Taylor Swift RED Tour Concert Review

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TaylorConcertReview

As published on muchmusic.com and written by Naomi Leanage (moi, of course!) 

The Rogers Centre saw an abundance of crimson, scarlet, ruby, cherry and burgundy as Taylor Swift’s Red Tour came to play two back-to-back shows in Toronto on June 14 and 15. Over 45, 000 fans each night showed up as Taylor look-a-likes wearing everything from homemade shirts that stated “Not A Lot Going On At The Moment” paired with red heart shaped sunglasses to cowboy boots and dresses, paying tribute to her earlier days as a country star.

After a lineup of opening acts including the highly anticipated Ed Sheeran, as well as a few behind-the-scenes videos, and a dance worthy version of American Woman, Taylor’s larger than life silhouette appeared behind a red curtain. It soon dropped down to reveal the award winning singer dressed in her first stylish ensemble of the night (black high-waisted shorts, a lace Oxford shirt and sparkly red shoes) as she sang State of Grace.

Like any superstar, Taylor’s greeting to the crowd, “Well hello Toronto” ignited deafening screams. “When selecting what cities to play in for a world tour,” she then told the passionate audience, “I always try to remember which cities stood out the most. And to have two shows played in the same city, well, you have to be really special.”

Her two hour show consisted of a dozen tracks from her album Red, including Begin Again, All Too Well, andHoly Ground, along with hits from her previous albums like Love Story and Sparks Fly. Friday night saw Taylor play Tim McGraw for the first time in Toronto, after she claimed a fan requested it in a pre-show meet and greet. Saturday night’s show was treated to Highway Don’t Care instead, the Tim McGraw song Taylor easily conquered.

But Taylor didn’t just belt out her well-known hits to please the audience’s ears, she also put on an over the top show that was definitely a sight to see. From fireworks to an explosion of confetti, the production was fittingly large for one of the world’s biggest musicians.

Every song had a different theme like the gothic ballroom setting for I Knew You Were Trouble, the 60s Motown version of You Belong With Me, and the circus that was We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. And in a show full of highlights, it’s hard to forget Taylor’s 10 costume changes that included to letterman jacket, striped top and red pants (22), black and white tulle dress (Treacherous) and a red silk bodysuit, sequin shorts with elbow-length gloves (The Lucky One).

Nearing the end of the night, Taylor did step away from her scripted chats to genuinely thank Canadians for helping her get nominated for the MuchMusic Video Awards this year. “I’m so excited to go the MMVAs for the first time,” she tells Toronto. “I get to wear a pretty dress and go to the ball.”

Taylor’s Red Tour has seen the 22-year-old make the smooth transition from country to pop, and it’s clear that fans felt happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time by the end of the show.

Swedish House Mafia One Last Tour

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A sea of fans filled the Rogers Centre for Swedish House Mafia’s huge back-to-back farewell parties on Friday, February 22 and Saturday, February 23. Making Toronto one of its few coveted stops for their fittingly named One Last Tour, the trio of DJ/producers put on a show that not only satisfied every electronic dance music (EDM) lover in the city, but left them craving for more.

Toronto came, raved, and loved as over 60, 000 neon-clad, glow stick-holding music lovers showed up to say good bye to the super group. After getting pumped up to tunes spun by fellow Swedish DJ Otto Knows, the group’s 10 p.m. curtain call arrived, revealing the three silhouettes of Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso. The band looked miniature on stage, standing behind their DJ booth, surrounded by larger than life speakers and video screens.

“We always ask [the question] are you ready, but we know Toronto that you’re ready.” Axwell yelled over deafening screams. “So we want you to ask us.” A very loud and clear “are you ready?” then echoed through the stadium, as Greyhound began to play.

Their lively instrumentals and bass heavy beats had everyone’s hands in the air as the crowd jumped to the contagious music. But what really contributed to the party atmosphere was the plethora of special effects and visuals that kept concertgoers entertained. The vibrant pyrotechnics, fireworks, billows of smoke and colourful laser lights, kept the party atmosphere going throughout the show.

The set list included recognizable Swedish House Mafia hits like Antidote, Reload, Calling and Clash and their chart-topping songs like One, Miami 2 Ibiza and Don’t You Worry Child. The DJs also took turns playing their own song remixes, including Axwell’s In My Mind and Steve Angello’s Teasing Mr. Charlie during the two-hour show.

While it seemed as though the audience could’ve danced the whole night away, the show came to an end with a lengthy Save the World remix, as giant balloons dropped from the ceiling and streamers blew from the stage, resulting in an over-the-top send off worthy of the influential band.

Article written by Naomi Leanage, as seen on muchmusic.com.

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Maroon 5 Overexposed Tour

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Adam Levine graced Toronto with his presence on Tuesday, February 19 when Maroon 5 came into the city as part of their tour. The concert was great and they played an awesome mix of both old and new songs. They put on a great show on a fitting stage built in the shape of an “M” that Adam told the crowd was “his dream stage”.

What made this Toronto concert unique however was the marriage proposal publicized thanks to lead guitarist James Valentine who brought it to the attention of Adam. One smart and romantic guy decided to pop the question to his girl during “She Will Be Loved” and once she said yes, held up a sign saying well, “She Said Yes”. Pretty cute and a unique place to do so. I loved it!

Here are some pictures from the concert:

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