On Friday my brother informed me that we were going to the Neko Case, Blitzen Trapper and Bry Webb concert at the outdoor venue Olympic Plaza. I didn't think we would be going to this show as we were scheduled to see Joel Plaskett that same evening at Flames Central. But the way the schedule was, we were going to be able to see both, cool!!!
Just a few hours before this show was to start it was announced that Neko Case had cancelled due to missing her flight or something like that. Bummer, as I was looking forward to seeing her.
So the Sled Island Festival did a really cool think by making that nights show free for everyone and had Joel Plaskett step in to be the headliner. Super cool!!! This meant I was going to get to see Joel Plaskett Emergency perform two shows that night at two different venues.
My Bro. and I got to Olympic Plaza in time to catch opener Bry Webb, better known as the lead singer of The Constantines, do his solo set. His set started real mellow, I wasn't really digging it, but by the end of his set he had picked up the pace and was sounding good. But then the rain started coming down, Bry managed to finish his set just in time before the monsoon hit. The sky turned a weird purple red colour and then the rain came down hard, to the point where anyone in the venue ran for cover. It was starting to look like that evenings shows might just get cancelled. I haven't been caught in rain like that in a long time. By the time I found a place to get out of the rain I was a drowned rat. It took me the rest of the night to try and get dry.
Bry Webb.
Nonetheless, the rain did peter out and the show went on.
Next up was Blitzen Trapper, this was my second time seeing them in three days and third time seeing them live. Again, Blitzen put on a wicked show, it rained off and on during their set. But it didn't seem to bother anyone, as most people were already soaked, so all those that were in front of the stage were standing in a couple of inches of water, dancing and splashing around having a great time.
Blitzen Trapper.
The rain accumulating in the floor area of Olympic Plaza.
Headliner of the evening was Joel Plaskett Emergency stepping in for Neko Case. Again, the rain was coming down, not hard, but enough that you were getting wet. Joel and his back-up band Brad Marsh on drums and Chris Pennell and a keyboard player whom I didn't catch the name. This was the first time I had seen Joel Plaskett Emergency with him. The band sounded amazing. Joel opened the show with the appropriate song called "Lightning Bolt" from his 2012 album "Scrappy Happiness". Playing for almost an hour and half, it was just one great song after another, even doing a new song in which he called a ditty, as he is still working on the song, but it sounded awesome. Joel Plaskett has a fun quirky stage presence and the crowd was eating it up. Good times!!!
Joel Plaskett Emergency.
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