still a little bit of your song in my ear
status check - lovely
background ambiance - scanner & the song in my head

i've begun to think that less is more at times, when it comes to this whole posting business. i tried to write succinctly about last night's show (mr. damien rice & company at higher ground), but it just wasn't happening. so i gave in and rambled on as i felt fit.

consider that the official disclaimer. read at your own risk.

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i used to wish that every concert i attended would be magical. that i could walk out of a venue moved to the core of my being, shellshocked and giddy about having participated in such an amazing musical experience as the one i had just expereinced.

now, with more shows under my belt (amazing, good, not-so-good and horrible performances among them), i neither hope nor want such a wish to come true. the reason why such amazement follows a truly great performance is because they are so rare. there are many good performers out there who put on engaging, enjoyable shows. but the shellshock kind are few and far between. i'm fortunate in the respect that i've been able to experience as many as i have*, but a good amount of time had passed since the last time i'd been in such a state. probably since ... well, when were last fall's ani and guster flynn shows?

damien and company's set last night left me dazed and grinning like a fool. i've felt ridiculously overdramatic all day today, thinking about it. but fuck it, i don't care - i loved it and i will gush as i see fit. the show reminded me of why i love music so much and how it can move me so deeply.

everything just seemed right: the drive to higher ground, windows down, singing along to old school pearl jam and dmb on the radio, hitting every green light along the way. a perfect pint of vodka cran, a good crowd for the show. being able to say hi to kj and hopefully being able to help out with future food drives. lingering near the back of the audience, but able to see the stage perfectly. the way bass and intention electronic static can, when amplified, make your feet shiver and energy surge through your body as you wait for the inevitable explosion of sound. followed by the whisper of a collective audience voice adding ghostly accompaniment to a ballad. the focused silence shared by everyone present. the rendition of "cold water" performed with a blacked-out stage.

i could not have asked for a better set. i didn't get to hear "childish," but the song wouldn't have fit the set's mood. "cannonball" surged to the top of my list of favorite songs - i played it constantly all this morning and am singing it to myself this afternoon. "volcano" was a high moment, but didn't dominate audience response, as is often the case with singles. "older chests," "amie" and "eskimo" were brillaint.

and he covered "hallelujah." ok, i've heard covers of buckley originals and buckley covers live before. howie covered "lover you should've come over" at the iron horse. matty nay teased "last goodbye" at the st. michael's show. and many, many a musician has covered "hallelujah" since leonard cohen wrote it. i know this, of course. but as damien sang, i felt like i could close my eyes, reopen them and see jeff buckley on stage. i was in shock. it was the closest i'll ever come to hearing buckley live.

lisa got in on the action, presenting a brilliant cover of "seven nation army" (yeah!). and damien's first encore song, "black is the colour" was spellbinding.

it's so frustrating to try to write about such a show. don't want to overly gush, but want to give enough credit where it's due ... i just wish those who couldn't be there had been. and i hope those who were were similarly moved. next time damien is anywhere around here, i'm there, no questions asked. probably one of my top five concert experiences.

* among the list of astounding performers i've seen (in no particular order): aerosmith, live, counting crows, dmb, pmb, mayer (pre-"room for squares"), day, mraz, ani, tori, and guster. at least one show of each of these performers have left me with that glazed-over astounded post-show feeling all concert-attending fans love.