Damien at Danforth : "Bland Rice" ?

Rannveig · 08-02-2006, 07:53 PM

I found reviews of Damien's performance at Danforth Theatre in Toronto.

Live Reviews
Bland Rice
By JASON KELLER

DAMIEN RICE with ADRIENNE PIERCE at the Music Hall, July 17. Tickets: $33.50. Attendance: sold out. Rating: NN
Those looking for a little respite from Monday's searing heat didn't get it at the sold-out Damien Rice show Monday. Barometers were bursting inside the historic Danforth Music Hall as fans of the Irish sensitivo songwriter fanned themselves with papers and programs, making the setting look like a Southern gospel church, complete with desperate prayers for a cool breeze.

After wiping my beaded brow, my vision cleared enough to see Vancouver-born singer Adrienne Pierce quietly take the candlelit stage and open with songs off her indie-produced album, Small Fires. Pierce cagily wooed the audience by declaring herself a huge Damien Rice fan, to a roar of approval from the hitherto subdued and seated crowd. Her Jewel-ish songs, dotted with the occasional feather-light guitar strum, were received politely, but you could feel the heated (deathly in this case) tension building for Rice in the predominantly femme-filled capacity crowd.

After surviving intermission in a hellfire of a lobby where bottled water seemed to have been priced by the devil himself, it was back to the inferno where Rice was abruptly arriving onstage. During this small detour from the Fiona Apple tour he's currently opening for, Rice was the stage's sole occupant. His set oscillated between pin-drop-quiet moments of heavy emotional melancholy and over-loud, distorted microphone wails accompanied by the demonic thrashings of his acoustic.

Although the crowd politely supported Rice through his roller-coaster set, you could tell by the eighth or ninth song that his silence and refusal to engage were wearing on the heat-frazzled nerves of his feverish adorers. Finally, a voice (male, no less) from the balcony blurted, "I want you, Damien," to which a blushing Rice playfully began rattling off a phone number.

This seemed to melt the ice. After graciously thanking everyone for "coming to share this sauna," he confirmed, "It's ****ing warm in here" and broke into another sweaty number off his lone full-length, O. He closed with the mega-hit The Blower's Daughter, during which he repeatedly sang, "Can't take my eyes off of you" to a standing ovation of fans who were either burning with passion or just plain burning.

music@nowtoronto.com
NOW | JULY 20 - 26, 2006 | VOL. 25 NO. 47
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/200...vereviews2.php

Damien Rice
July 17, 2006
Danforth Music Hall

It was a Monday night at the Danforth Music Hall and it was so hot you could steam cook rice off my skin. The crowd waited over 30 exasperating minutes between sets and by the time the wait was over everyone was in a clammy, hurried mood. Eight songs and 45 minutes in, Damien Rice finally stopped to address the crowd. There was no laughter. For laughter you need breath, and Damien had already stolen all that any lung in the crowd had to offer. He might have been concerned we were that bored, we were concerned he was that good.

Starting off with “Volcano” and working his way through most of his album, I can safely say without feeling clichéd, he had me at O. Putting effect after effect on his guitar and voice, Damien filled the DMH leaving every listener submerged in a musical pool of emotional anarchy and acoustic beauty. Sitting at the front of the stage, Damien then played the first verse and chorus of “Amie” unplugged and unmic-ed. There are some moments at a concert that are so perfect, you forget the world, you forget the overpriced ticket, you forget the lack of leg room, you forget how early you have to wake up the next day, you just listen, stare in jaw-dropped awe and thank everything that you weren’t anywhere else at that exact moment. This was one of the moments. Finishing off the set with an utterly heart-stopping rendition of “Eskimo” and the two crowd favourites “Cannonball” and “The Blower’s Daughter,” he not only played everything the audience wanted, he made them forget what they even wanted in the first place.

Now before I get too carried away, playing an acoustic guitar in front of me is like wagging a treat in front of a puppy’s nose, I’m going to pant, drool and wag my tail a lot. However, being stuck in a packed, sweaty concert theatre is like getting stuck behind gramps on his Sunday drive and you’re 15 minutes late for work; I’m probably going to spout profanity under my breath at the world and despise anything else that gets put in front of me. Damien came in and made me forget everything and just listen. This wasn’t just a concert, this wasn’t just an experience, this was a reminder that for every generic pop act that is the work of a team of record execs, there is someone like Damien Rice. Thank You for that reminder, I needed it.

- Dan Hamilton

©2006, All Rights Reserved

srahman24 · 08-02-2006, 10:29 PM

Wow. I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't have liked that gig.

I loved the fact that his set was so varied - that he could go totally rock out on Woman Like A Man and then delicately play the piano for Accidental Babies. It just showed his depth, and touched on so many more emotions that way and so, that "rollercoaster ride" was thoroughly enjoyable.

I don't know where the first reviewer was sitting - but I don't agree with him at all when he says that the crowd was just politely supporting Damien. Did he not notice the fact that we brought him back on for two encores?! We sat there for almost three hours sweating bullets and yet, there wasn't a single person in that venue who wanted the show to end a minute sooner than it did.

So, I'd definitely say my experience was more along the lines of reviewer #2 -- damien made it impossible to not get lost in the music. And it's true, it wasn't just a concert, it was an experience. Probably one of the best experiences I've ever had.

Adelaide · 08-03-2006, 01:16 AM

Yes everyone has their opinion and while I can respect the fact that the first person didn't enjoy the show (although I personally thought it was absolutely magnificent... it was a great set and he sounded fantastic.), but I don't like how he's writing as if he's speaking for the entire audience. Me personally, I am yet to meet a person who wasn't happy with the show.

and yep what srahman24 said. I was in the first row and when I walked up right to the edge of the stage during the first encore, along with the entire front row audience, that wasn't just polite. That was the best thing ever.

and clearly, he left after the first encore. tsk. though, if he didn't like the "disorted microphone wailing", he wouldn't have enjoyed the performance of Cold Water at the end anyway. haha.

carvinC980t_kid · 08-03-2006, 02:54 AM

i fail to see the part where they didn't like the concert...

08-02-2006, 07:53 PM	#1
Rannveig Lives Near an Eskimo Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 64	Damien at Danforth : "Bland Rice" ? I found reviews of Damien's performance at Danforth Theatre in Toronto. Live Reviews Bland Rice By JASON KELLER DAMIEN RICE with ADRIENNE PIERCE at the Music Hall, July 17. Tickets: $33.50. Attendance: sold out. Rating: NN Those looking for a little respite from Monday's searing heat didn't get it at the sold-out Damien Rice show Monday. Barometers were bursting inside the historic Danforth Music Hall as fans of the Irish sensitivo songwriter fanned themselves with papers and programs, making the setting look like a Southern gospel church, complete with desperate prayers for a cool breeze. After wiping my beaded brow, my vision cleared enough to see Vancouver-born singer Adrienne Pierce quietly take the candlelit stage and open with songs off her indie-produced album, Small Fires. Pierce cagily wooed the audience by declaring herself a huge Damien Rice fan, to a roar of approval from the hitherto subdued and seated crowd. Her Jewel-ish songs, dotted with the occasional feather-light guitar strum, were received politely, but you could feel the heated (deathly in this case) tension building for Rice in the predominantly femme-filled capacity crowd. After surviving intermission in a hellfire of a lobby where bottled water seemed to have been priced by the devil himself, it was back to the inferno where Rice was abruptly arriving onstage. During this small detour from the Fiona Apple tour he's currently opening for, Rice was the stage's sole occupant. His set oscillated between pin-drop-quiet moments of heavy emotional melancholy and over-loud, distorted microphone wails accompanied by the demonic thrashings of his acoustic. Although the crowd politely supported Rice through his roller-coaster set, you could tell by the eighth or ninth song that his silence and refusal to engage were wearing on the heat-frazzled nerves of his feverish adorers. Finally, a voice (male, no less) from the balcony blurted, "I want you, Damien," to which a blushing Rice playfully began rattling off a phone number. This seemed to melt the ice. After graciously thanking everyone for "coming to share this sauna," he confirmed, "It's ***ing warm in here" and broke into another sweaty number off his lone full-length, O. He closed with the mega-hit The Blower's Daughter, during which he repeatedly sang, "Can't take my eyes off of you" to a standing ovation of fans who were either burning with passion or just plain burning. music@nowtoronto.com NOW \| JULY 20 - 26, 2006 \| VOL. 25 NO. 47 http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/200...vereviews2.php Damien Rice July 17, 2006 Danforth Music Hall It was a Monday night at the Danforth Music Hall and it was so hot you could steam cook rice off my skin. The crowd waited over 30 exasperating minutes between sets and by the time the wait was over everyone was in a clammy, hurried mood. Eight songs and 45 minutes in, Damien Rice finally stopped to address the crowd. There was no laughter. For laughter you need breath, and Damien had already stolen all that any lung in the crowd had to offer. He might have been concerned we were that bored, we were concerned he was that good. Starting off with “Volcano” and working his way through most of his album, I can safely say without feeling clichéd, he had me at O. Putting effect after effect on his guitar and voice, Damien filled the DMH leaving every listener submerged in a musical pool of emotional anarchy and acoustic beauty. Sitting at the front of the stage, Damien then played the first verse and chorus of “Amie” unplugged and unmic-ed. There are some moments at a concert that are so perfect, you forget the world, you forget the overpriced ticket, you forget the lack of leg room, you forget how early you have to wake up the next day, you just listen, stare in jaw-dropped awe and thank everything that you weren’t anywhere else at that exact moment. This was one of the moments. Finishing off the set with an utterly heart-stopping rendition of “Eskimo” and the two crowd favourites “Cannonball” and “The Blower’s Daughter,” he not only played everything the audience wanted, he made them forget what they even wanted in the first place. Now before I get too carried away, playing an acoustic guitar in front of me is like wagging a treat in front of a puppy’s nose, I’m going to pant, drool and wag my tail a lot. However, being stuck in a packed, sweaty concert theatre is like getting stuck behind gramps on his Sunday drive and you’re 15 minutes late for work; I’m probably going to spout profanity under my breath at the world and despise anything else that gets put in front of me. Damien came in and made me forget everything and just listen. This wasn’t just a concert, this wasn’t just an experience, this was a reminder that for every generic pop act that is the work of a team of record execs, there is someone like Damien Rice. Thank You for that reminder, I needed it. - Dan Hamilton ©2006, All Rights Reserved __________________ Easy to think when you are young how you are going to change the world. Not so easy to see how the world is going to change you. ---- Conrado De Quiros Last edited by Rannveig; 08-02-2006 at 08:02 PM.*

08-03-2006, 02:54 AM	#4
carvinC980t_kid Eskimo Regular Join Date: May 2006 Location: noblesville indiana, aka people with too much money producing ignorant children Posts: 2,662	i fail to see the part where they didn't like the concert... __________________ "And live for the moment, Lord knows I'm gon' die And when I get to hell, Lord knows I'm gon' fry" young jeezy - i luv it

08-02-2006, 10:29 PM	#2
srahman24 Dandy little dreamer Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,244	Wow. I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't have liked that gig. I loved the fact that his set was so varied - that he could go totally rock out on Woman Like A Man and then delicately play the piano for Accidental Babies. It just showed his depth, and touched on so many more emotions that way and so, that "rollercoaster ride" was thoroughly enjoyable. I don't know where the first reviewer was sitting - but I don't agree with him at all when he says that the crowd was just politely supporting Damien. Did he not notice the fact that we brought him back on for two encores?! We sat there for almost three hours sweating bullets and yet, there wasn't a single person in that venue who wanted the show to end a minute sooner than it did. So, I'd definitely say my experience was more along the lines of reviewer #2 -- damien made it impossible to not get lost in the music. And it's true, it wasn't just a concert, it was an experience. Probably one of the best experiences I've ever had.

08-03-2006, 01:16 AM	#3
Adelaide Eskimo Princess Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 216	Yes everyone has their opinion and while I can respect the fact that the first person didn't enjoy the show (although I personally thought it was absolutely magnificent... it was a great set and he sounded fantastic.), but I don't like how he's writing as if he's speaking for the entire audience. Me personally, I am yet to meet a person who wasn't happy with the show. and yep what srahman24 said. I was in the first row and when I walked up right to the edge of the stage during the first encore, along with the entire front row audience, that wasn't just polite. That was the best thing ever. and clearly, he left after the first encore. tsk. though, if he didn't like the "disorted microphone wailing", he wouldn't have enjoyed the performance of Cold Water at the end anyway. haha.