I saw that Skye was at her merchandise booth and chatted with her for just a bit. (I had met her twice before at Toronto Cold Reads, but she hasn't been back for a while, nor have I for that matter.) I was pleased to hear that she was the middle act (going on at 9) rather than the main headliner, starting at 10. I debated getting her newest CD, though I've already streamed it a couple of times on iTunes, and I basically didn't have any cash on me. I didn't see as many people as I expected from Toronto Cold Reads, but I did see Jamie Johnson there taking a ton of photographs. Mine came out pretty blurry and then after the show started, the lights made it impossible to get a decent shot.
While I wouldn't completely commit to it, I think one of the musicians in the crowd was Lawrence Nichols of the Lowest of the Low. Given that Skye opened for Ron Hawkins just a while ago, they presumably all know a bit about what the other groups are up to. But as I said, I'm not entirely sure this was the case.
For once, I stayed late enough at the square to see the old Sam Records sign lit up properly.
It was a good set, though I'm not as familiar with her newer material. She mostly played songs from the recent album, though she did play Scarlet Fever, a fave of mine. I would have liked to hear Dead Things Part II, Middle Class Ontario or Not Ready For This to Start. Not sure I'll go out of my way to see her again, just because I don't really enjoy going to rock shows anymore, but I'll definitely keep an eye out to see if she does another acoustic set at Cold Reads. At any rate, if she does make it big, and perhaps things are moving in that direction, I can say I saw her a few times while she was still in the trenches.
Then the following evening, I went to see the Driftwood Bus Tour doing a musical version of Midsummer's Night's Dream at Withrow Park. The weather was quite nice. I biked over with my son. This time around we rented chairs, and we were in the front row of the seating area, so pretty swanky. At it happened, I was one row ahead of Lynn Slotkin (who hasn't reviewed the show yet, but might well post a review later). What was even more intriguing was that Oliver Dennis (from the Soulpepper troupe) was there, supporting the Driftwood tour. I think this Mooney review does a good job of summing up the performance. The performance almost teeters into being too precious about Millennials and their selfies but then settles down into an amusing romp. It is interesting to hear some of the longish speeches from Oberon and Titania translated into song, which is a first for me. Another interesting first, probably not to be repeated during the run, is that the character playing Puck had a leave of absence for that night (as his partner was having a baby), so the director (Jeremy Smith) stepped into the role for the first time in 15 years. I must admit, he pulled it off quite well. I debated getting the CD of the songs in the show but decided I probably wouldn't listen to it more than once or twice more, and, again, I didn't have any cash with me (though they gladly would have let me paid by square). There are quite a few more dates, a few more in Toronto and then throughout southern Ontario. Details here.
Overall, some solid entertainment over the weekend, and it was nice seeing some more established artists supporting up-and-coming artists.
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