What an afternoon-slash-evening! Being so used to watching concerts in enclosed venues, I didn't really know what to expect at the Ste. Michelle Winery. The last couple of open-air concerts I've attended weren't done at a winery...so I had to get used to the constant stream of people flowing to and from the performance to either run to the bathrooms, transport picnic stuff from their cars, or whatever.
David Garza and Damien Rice did the opening sets...not a big fan of either and that didn't change after their sets...maybe I was just biased (just came to see Fiona). Didn't enjoy the lengthy watch-me-i-am-so-good-at-playing-guitar pieces and was somewhat annoyed at Damien Rice for cursing (in his songs and in between) like he's this bad dude and suddenly sing sugar-coated pop tunes...dunno, maybe I was just biased...David Garza did an entertaining "Hendrix" national anthem to begin his set but after that I couldn't figure out if he was testing his guitar or warming up for another song...granted I have no clue as to his catalog...maybe I was just biased.
The sun was still up when Fiona marched onto the stage, hands epileptically waving in the air...maybe she was trying to get amped up, or was extremely amped up, annoyed at the sunlight, or just plain packed with raw energy. The sound engineer was probably having a hard time as her singing was in extremes the first couple of songs (whispers at one end and loud shouts in the other). The darker the sky got, the better she felt (I think) and she was as Fiona as I'd ever seen her ;).
I really have to stress in this entry again that I really miss Matt Chamberlain. That drum solo in "Limp" is a clear indicator...nuff said. I wish Tori would lend her not only Matt, but her sound engineer as well. There was a struggle between the accompanying music and Fiona's voice and it most likely caused by having to manage it in an open-air venue. But both key players need to know the artist and that's what has benefited not only Tori, but others who have stuck with the same trusted collaborators for years.
I remember reading once that when Tori was starting out, Manu Katche (her session drummer at the time) told her that she needed to find a drummer...and this was not an insult. A drummer controls the tempo and it takes a drummer who knows the singer to clearly channel the right expression.
Anyway.....
Hey, I have to say her performance of "Oh Well" was the best I ever heard...second only to the bootleg track of Extraordinary Machine, which I still believe is the best and more honest version of that track.
Could you pass that bottle of Cab please?....
