Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Ottawa Bluesfest
And fourteen years later, here we were, at the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ concert, the last show of the annual Ottawa Bluesfest.
Browsing: Concerts and Events
“Bon Cop, Bad Cop” and Canadian Humour
If you want to catch a glimpse of Canadian culture, watch Bon Cop, Bad Cop.
All the Canadian Clichés All Conveniently in One Place – An Afternoon at the NHL Centennial Fan Arena
Last weekend, we went to Lansdowne Park to check out the NHL Centennial Fan Arena, “a touring tribute to a century of hockey”—no, it doesn’t get more Canadian than that.
A Toronto Blue Jays MLB Game
We drove to Toronto with tickets to see the Blue Jays vs. the Oakland Athletics. At 1 p.m., we joined the crowd of blue-clad fans walking down Yonge Street toward the Rogers Centre, home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.
How To Get Your Kid Hooked to Hockey
Easy. Step one, make sure the baby doesn’t sleep in the morning (ah ah, easy with Mark!). Step two, head to the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata for the open Ottawa Senators practice. Step three… enjoy!
50 & Counting Tour – The Rolling Stones Live in Toronto
When Feng and I went to see The Rolling Stones in 2005 in Ottawa—our first concert together—we joked that it may be our last chance to catch them live.
The joke was on us. Eight years later The Rolling Stones are still on the road with their 50 & Counting Tour and we couldn’t resist going to see them, again.
Bryan Adams Concert in Toronto
Yes, I like Bryan Adams. I don’t care how corny some of his songs can be, he is classic. The decision to make the trip to the concert in Toronto was a last minute one. We both weren’t too busy at work, and the weather was suddenly warmer. Plus, we wanted to check out the Air Canada Centre.
Hockey Playoff Game 3: Ottawa Senators vs New York Rangers
What better way to readapt to Canada than to go to a hockey game?
The Ottawa Senators made it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and on Monday night, it was game 3 against the NY Rangers. We headed to Scotiabank under a dramatic stormy sky—it was over 27°C that night (and it’s now 4°C… go figure).
Picture of the Week: On The Rink
There is a little park in our neighbourhood, and each year the community puts up a homemade outdoor ice skating rink, also used for hockey practice by the kids. I snapped this picture when walking back from the supermarket, as a teen was lacing up his skates before hitting the ice.
Entertainment Week — WWE and Pearl Jam
Last week was entertainment week for us: we had tickets for two shows in Ottawa, Monday Night RAW and Pearl Jam.
When I first saw wrestling on TV in Canada, I dismissed it right away: “it looks fake and I bet it’s fixed!” I was later informed that indeed, the fight followed a specific “choreography” and that the outcome was determined in advance. This is not the point of WWE anyway. It has to be watched as theater: characters challenge each other, adopt gimmicks and portray roles.
Billy Talent, Live
A few days earlier, after seeing The Tragically Hip, I was at the Billy Talent concert. I fell in love with the Toronto band when I first came to Canada and took the opportunity to see them live. I wasn’t disappointed—they rocked it!
The Tragically Hip, Live
Finally. Finally, I’m a real Canadian, a little bit over two years after taking my citizenship oath.
I survived many winters, I took my driving license in the snow, ate beavertails, went to hockey games… but I had never seen The Tragically Hip live until last week. And everybody knows that seeing Canada’s favourite band live is a must-do for all Canadians. The Hip are one of the stuff Canadians like. When I learned the band played at the Bluesfest in Ottawa, I decided I simply had to go to complete my Canadian education.
U2 Concert in Sydney
I had never taken the boat to a concert but since Sydney offered us the opportunity, we jumped on the ferry to the Olympic Park to go see U2.
Yes, U2.
The Wall Live
On the stage, half a wall was built with white bricks.
Roger Waters came on scene at 8 pm sharp. Fireworks lit up the place and he began singing. “So ya
Thought ya/ Might like to go to the show/ To feel the warm thrill of confusion and/ That space cadet glow”.
5 Concert Photography Tips (III)
A few years ago, concert photography was pretty much off-limits for amateur photographer—unless you knew the band. Nowadays, it seems that most venues gave up on banning cameras.
The last few years, I was able to get in with my DSLR and a couple of lenses. Suits me. It allowed me to experiment with concert photography.
Hockey Day In Canada
Last Saturday, Hockey Day In Canada took place throughout the country. You basically had two option: 1) the lazy option, which was to watch the tripleheader of NHL action featuring the six Canadian teams on T.V 2) the brave option, which was to take your gear and go play hockey in the street.
Metallica Concert In Ottawa
You hadn’t pictured me as a metalhead, had you? Well, I’m not usually into heavy metal but I love Metallica. I had heard the band was great live and I couldn’t wait to attend the concert in Ottawa.
The Killers In Montréal
On Saturday, on an impulse, Feng and I decided to drive to Montréal to attend The Killers’ concert. Initially sold out, the show had been moved to a bigger venue at the last minute: the Bell Center.
We hadn’t been the Montréal since the very muddy Radiohead concert last year. This time, the weather was gorgeous… but we were indoor.
ACDC In Ottawa
On Monday, ACDC played in Ottawa and we had the chance to go see them.
The place was packed with over 17,000 fans and the concert was sold out. Sure, we didn’t have great seats like we did for Green Day a month earlier, but the atmosphere was great.
Green Day In Ottawa
I remember listening to Green Day when I was in junior high, back in the nineties. I had a tape of Dookie and we would try to understand the lyrics of Basketcase… I like the late American Idiot album too.
The show was just great. The band had a lot of energy: “This ain’t TV,” frontman Billie Joe Armstrong shouted. “Get off your fucking asses.”
Always Take The Weather With You
Radiohead was playing in Montreal and we drove the 400 km there and back to attend the show. By the time we got through the security, we were soaked. The park where the concert was held was extremely muddy — let’s just say I hadn’t been that dirty since I was 5 and loved to jump in poodles of water.
A Night With The Police
“Have a good evening Zhu… and good luck with the police tonight!”
I love my students’ sense of humor. I just wish he wouldn’t have said that in front of the whole class. Indeed, I didn’t rob a bank, I just went to a concert. The Police. Hence the witty comment.
Hockey (2/10)
One of the reason we can stand the cold weather and long winters is… hockey, Canada’s national sport. Think soccer for Brazil, NFL football for the US or cricket for India. That popular.
Hockey is a really fun sport to watch. The game usually lasts 60 minutes (plus overtime if needed) and it’s a speedy game. A famous rivalry in Canada opposes Toronto’s Maple Leaf to basically the rest of the country. But Canada also love playing Russia, Sweden, Finland, and of course the USA.
Hockey Night
Canadians love their game, but the whole atmosphere is surprisingly friendly. Toronto is hated by everyone — hence the “Toronto sucks” jerseys wore by die-hard fans — but no hard feeling here : it’s a game. I remember the soccer games back in France where the anti-riot cops have to be there during the whole game to prevent fans to go crazy… Canadians’ passion is much more peaceful .