As many of you know I was selected to be a #JLCReviewer for the Josh Groban concert tonight.
Unfortunately due to a sudden illness I will not be attending the concert tonight, thus I will not be providing a review of the concert.
I am extremely disappointed as I was really looking forward to the concert; I have read that it is a truly spectacular show. Unfortunately a flu bug is keeping me away. I am not sure I could make it through a concert and I would hate to make my fellow reviewers sick.
I apologize to the JLC for not being able to fulfill my committment. I pride myself on being someone who follows through on the things I say I will do, unfortunately this time I simply cannot.
I apologize to my fellow reviewers for not being able to make it. I was really looking forward to meeting all of you and experience the concert with you. I look forward to reading your reviews and experiencing the concert vicariously through you.
Lastly I apologize to anyone who was looking forward to my review. Thank you to the people who recommended me for the position, it meant a lot.
I am hoping that the opportunity to be a #JLCreviewer will come around again in the future and I will be able to offer a gripping review of a JLC concert.
Thank you again to the JLC for the opportunity to participate in this project, I really think it is an excellent idea and a great way to build community around the venue. I anxiously anticipate the reviews of this concert and all future ones and I cannot wait to see what you come up with next.
So as you may or may not know, I have been selected as a #JLCreviewer for the Josh Groban concert on Tuesday night at the John Labatt Centre here in London, Ontario.
As such, being the geek I am, I have been doing my research. Checking out his YouTube Channel, listening to his music, downloading his most recent album, reading various articles I can find on him and his work.
After reading and listening to all of these things about Josh Groban I’ve thought of some questions I would ask if I had the opportunity. They are all pretty standard questions, and probably questions that are frequently asked, but still I’d love to hear what Josh Groban would have to say in a candid environment.
1) When preparing to record Illuminations, what made you choose to use Rick Ruben as the producer for the album. Sure he is a producer of mythical proportions, but he is well-known for producing numerous rock Albums. What did you think he could bring to Illuminations? How did you think his presence would change your recording experience? In retrospect how well did your expectations match the actual experience? Also what made you want to work with Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson?
2) If there was one artist or group that you could perform with or do a cover of, who would it be?
3) What is your most memorable or meaningful accomplishment to this point of your career?
4) You’ve worked with a number of Canadians previously, if you could work with or sing with another Canadian musician, who would you choose? (A question that stumps most non-Canadian acts)
5) What is your musical guilty pleasure? What would your fans be shocked to know is on your iPod?
6) This is your first time writing the majority of one of your albums, is there a specific song of this album that you are most proud of or that means the most to you, or that best represents you as a person, singer, songwriter, etc.
I have other questions in my mind, but those are probably the first that come to mind. Mostly though, I want to understand the thinking behind the pairing with Rick Ruben because that I think to many seems rather counterintuitive.
This past weekend I attended the Soundgarden concert at the JLC, thanks to the kindness and generosity of the JLC who gave away several pairs of tickets on Social Media Day.
When I was told there would be a set of tickets waiting for me at Will Call, I decided to refresh my memory and revisit some of Soundgarden’s earlier material.
The height of Soundgarden’s success was around 1994 with the album Superunknown. They later broke up in 1997. So their glory years were basically from the time I was 10 to 13.
I knew several of the songs, but not as well as a number of people, including the long-haired, bearded man sitting next to me at the concert.
It was a great concert, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I thank the JLC for the opportunity to attend the concert. I always love going to the JLC for a concert, that marks the fifth (I believe) concert that I have been to at the JLC and I look forward to attending many more.
Listening to some of the Soundgarden songs took me back, and really got me thinking about some of the songs I listened to on repeat over the years that I have missed having in my iTunes. Now some of these are real oldies, some are more recent, but all are songs that I have really enjoyed over the years that I thought I would share.
Childhood favourite:
This song came out on August 1st of 1985. This is one of the three songs I really remember for my early childhood, and this was by far my favourite. I remember dancing around the house to it while cleaning on Saturday mornings and making my parents replay it over and over again.
We Built This City – Starship
The other two songs I from my childhood that meant the most to me were Starship’s Sara for obvious reasons, though they spelt Sara wrong, and Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison, also for obvious reasons (I have brown eyes, well hazel, but anyways).
The first cassette (yes I said cassette) I remember owning was Bryan Adam’s Waking Up the Neighbours, and let me tell you, kids my age looked at me funny for always bringing it to class parties, because I was pretty much alone in my love for that cassette. It had so many great songs though, including (Everything I Do) I Do It for You, which of course was from the Robinhood: Prince of Thieves (which I was too young to watch at the time).
One of my favourite songs from that album though was this song:
Bryan Adams: There Will Never Be Another Tonight
As a child, I had a huge unexplainable crush on Richard Marx. I loved the song Right Here Waiting (which debuted in 1989), it was beautiful and I still love it. So combine my crush on Richard Marx to my obsession with Disney Movies and you get this song:
Richard Marx & Donna Lewis: At the Beginning With You – from Anastasia (1997)
A year later, a trio of brother burst onto the scene and took the world by storm, one Mmmbop at a time. I loved Hanson and I won’t lie, I do own their subsequent album after Mmmbop, and their VHS.
I could torture you with Mmmbop, but I won’t, instead:
Hanson – Penny and Me
So are you questioning my music taste yet?
High school I fell in love with three bands, two of which have all but disappeared and one that still releases some new material.
Vertical Horizon – Everything You Want
Nine Days – Absolutely (Story of a Girl)
Lifehouse – Everything (this was on repeat constantly)
High School had a lot of different music over the years, but by Prom, this summed up how my group of friends was feeling. There was a group of probably about 10 of us. 8 girls and 2 guys. 6 of the girls (not me) had feelings for one or the other of the two guys, which made for some serious drama in my last year of high school. So by prom, this was our theme:
Mary J. Blige – No More Drama
I am not someone who enjoys drama, so I was begging please no more drama!
First year university brought a lot of music. I went to my first concert (I know late concert bloomer). My sister bought me tickets to see OLP when the JLC opened. I went with my sister, her boyfriend (now husband), my high school best friend and my first best friend. Before the concert I managed to fall down the Market stairs and skin about 10 layers off my right palm (I am right-handed, so this was just great), but I had an absolute blast at this concert, enjoying the oldies, but enjoying performances from their most recent album, including:
Our Lady Peace: Somewhere Out There
I discovered this really great band that I absolutely fell in loved with. They are still producing music, but never really seemed to crack mainsteam.
Trapt – These Walls (I love this song, but there is no actual video for it)
Third year was a really difficult year for me personally and the next couple songs are the ones I associate the most with that year.
Simple Plan – Welcome to My Life
This next song, I associate with my best friend. During the hardest year of my life, the first year we knew each other, he was my rock, I could always count on him and we’ve counted on each other ever since.
Default – Count on Me
The next two songs still bring tears to my eyes and break my heart just a little, I’m crying even as I write this and find the videos. These are two songs we chose to play at my Grandpa funeral, after he lost his battle with Lung Cancer. I was really close with him and he was someone who always believed in me and supported to me.
Josh Groban – You Raise Me Up
Sarah McLachlan – I Will Remember You
These are just some of the songs that have made an impact on my life, there are thousands more. I will periodically add blog posts with songs and videos that I love, but I hope you have enjoyed my first one.
Additional post will include songs from:
Breaking Benjamin
SevenMaryThree
Eagle-Eye Cherry
Third Eye Blind
Lisa Loeb
Grace Potter
The Fray
One Republic
Augustana
The Pretenders
Forty Foot Echo
Thinking Out Loud 