extraordinary

i love shows at the cohn. the sound is always good, the seats are comfortable, and there's a atmosphere of hope and joy in the crowd that i rarely find in a bar. people are there to hear the music, and since they bought their tickets in advance, they have been anticipating it for a while. people dress nicely and cheer loudly. it is great.

joel gave us a really great show last night. he was relaxed and excited at the same time, with an almost flawless set list, funny gord downie style stage banter, amazing guitar work, and a wicked band. the way the band came out in the middle of a song, right at the perfect moment, was worth the price of the ticket in itself.

i loved anna plaskett's french horn, but i liked it even better when she and her dad played guitar with joel and the band. i liked pete elkas - he was subtle and effective. and he shaved his beard, so he looked handsome.

i started to write down the set list, but i lost my pen at intermission, and then i lost the cash register receipt that i had been writing on. i do know that he opened with a th song (before you leave) and then played a good mix of all the albums. i went to the bathroom during true patriot love.

intermission was a bit of crystal light (why didn't anyone believe us, clairey?) and then a walk up the street for a breath of fresh air.

then the show continued in a similarly excellent fashion. it reminded me why i love joel. he wasn't stiff or pre-programmed. he played guitar like he was having the time of his life doing something he loved, rather than getting the job done. we all loved it. it was flippin' great. you would have loved it.

afterwards, we wandered around the city getting sore feet. the poutine was the highlight. yes, poutine!