Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Raining...dogs at least

Crowded House on the weekend. In the rain, thanks to the persistence of the city strike. As it was slated to rain on concert night, I decided to fully give myself over to permanent residency in Vancouver and buy a really waterproof coat. After dragging my pals around the city trying to find something that didn't make me look like a peanut m&m, I decided on this, which makes me feel vaguely like a member of the SS, which I'm not sure is a good thing but I'm going with it. After a night in dry comfort despite the persistent drizzle, I have learned to love it.

As for the concert - it was really more of a nostalgia trip for me than anything, but the band proved they've still got it going on. God knows that there are few that can put together a pop song with the finesse that Neil Finn can. I seem to have grown up watching him play - in Split Enz in the early 80's in the decidedly non-acoustically brilliant ex-skating rink, the Kerrisdale Arena (where I also saw the Jam, the Clash, the Psychedelic Furs, Love & Rockets and god knows what else - this concert going habit has been long lived...), to an unbelievably great Neil Finn solo tour that hit the Phoenix in Toronto about 6 years ago, and a decidedly mediocre Finn Brothers tour a year or two after that. Anyway, it was good to go back in time and see a band that I didn't have a chance to see in their heyday, and they didn't disappoint. The one thing they knocked off the bill was Liam Finn, because of the change in venue. Now I've listened to some of his stuff online I'm disappointed.

As for the audience - the rain kept the giddiness and arm sways to a minimum thankfully (I'm such a curmudgeon), but I did feel like knocking the heads of the couple standing in front of me together when the woman started singing directly to her boyfriend. For the love of all that is sacred, go to a karaoke bar and put the rest of us out of our misery. PLEASE.

Anyway, I've included a clip of Neil Finn solo - really hoping he doesn't have a 'man-servant', but I guess if I had that much money I would - heck, I'd have MANY - so who am I to judge?

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