Toronto – I used to live about 4 minutes away from Soundscapes, which along with Rotate This are the only two places you should be buying concert tickets in Toronto. Anyways, living this close to Soundscapes means that I could always easily get concert tickets. As with all good things in life, you take it for granted. I was fairly lazy about picking up Florence and the Machine tickets, figuring I could pick it up ANYTIME I wanted. NOPE. Sold out. I had around two weeks to buy the tickets, but it sold out and I was kicking myself. This is a lesson for all you folks out there, pick up tickets asap for a show you want to go to.
Luckily for me, the ticket gods were in my favor as Monday rolled around and what do you know, some unlucky soul could not make it to the show and was selling it for a reasonable price on craigslist. I instantly scooped up my ticket and thus begins my journey to the Florence’s sold out show on a wet and cold Monday night at the Mod Club.
First of all, can anyone tell me how they became so popular? Are they played on muchmusic or some radio station? The sell out was a complete surprise to me. I am guessing they are probably played on some mature radio station or something, as the crowd seemed to be predominately late 20s/30 somethings.
On to the show. What a voice. I think the Mod Club has been home to two of the more impressive vocal exhibitions in the past year, with Natasha Khan earlier this year and now Florence Welch. This women simply has a ferocious voice. It’s kinda like Neko Case if she cared about anything. Maybe it was the fact that this was the last show of the tour, but Florence seemed to just give it her all on the songs. Her stage move-set more or less consisted of using her arms to do some wavy movements, a hair twirl and jumping up and down. Her band consisted of some person on the Harp, two drummers (sounded great), a guitar or bassist and a synthy type girl. They pretty much did nothing aside from pound out music.
The songs itself were good. With the tribal-esque drumming, floral backdrop and flowers adorning the stage, the show had a spiritual-esque kind of feel, similar to Bat for Lashes in that sense. I felt like I should of been smoking some peyote in an Arizona desert somewhere. I don’t know why.
I was most surprise that the songs “Kiss with a Fist” and “Dog Days Are Over” were played so early in the set, since they seem most suited for last song before encore/last song of show types. Dog Days Are Over was especially a highlight, as a playful Florence Welch instructed the crowd to simultaneously jump up in the air multiple times, insinuating in the first (and last) ever mid-30s crowd mosh pit.
All in all, it was a very good and energetic show. Talent is talent. Florence Welch has a magnificent and powerful voice and that should carry her to a nice long career.
Between Two Lungs
My Boy Builds Coffins
Kiss With a Fist
Are You Hurting the One You Love?
Hospital Beds
Hurricane Drunk
Howl
Drumming Song
Dog Days Are Over
Cosmic Love
Blinding
You’ve Got the Love
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
