This one is not about cats...

...but I'm afraid it is still about my camera. A little bit at least.

Went to Jose Gonzalez last night at Richards. It was packed - it's the first show I've been to in a long time that WAS packed...not sure if that says something about my musical choices or Vancouver's general laziness about getting off their collective duffs and going to watch a band. OK, yes, yes, I do know, but I'm too nice to say it yet again.

The big audience tried to stay quiet. I think they really did. Of course, there are always a few idiots who will continue to talk, and this is just not the sort of concert you can talk through. People (like me) will notice. And get annoyed. I question whether Richards is the right venue for this sort of gig - I know it is a bit stodgy, but I would love to have seen this at the Cap College theatre in all it's pin-dropping silence and good acoustic quality. But that's the way life is. Guess you couldn't get all those young 'uns to go somewhere they couldn't drink....

Gonzalez was as good as you could hope - he sounded great, and his guitar playing is fantastic. I liked that they propped everyone up on risers - it gave their presence a little more authority (he's too quiet a guy to demand it). Mutt & Jeff the Sound Guys who I have commented on more than once were having a tough time of it - the backing vocals were inaudible at points, I am guessing due to a bad cable and that is what they kept switching. And it's hard not to notice a guy that looks like Geddy Lee romping around that stark stage with cables in his hand. It happens, and there isn't a lot you can do I guess. But all in all, a very good gig.

So - this was the first night out with the new camera. I have posted a short video and a couple of snaps - in general I am happy with how the camera handled the conditions - really really low lighting, and pretty heavy zoom as I was up on the balcony in the old people seats. I do have a couple of other videos that are darker than this, but they sound good. I may post them later.

Next weekend? Les Savy Fav and Guy Davis. Not on the same bill...though that would be entertaining.
And I still have to master posting videos obviously - the black box below IS a video if you hit the play button beneath. Sigh.