Patrick Watson (thread title edited)

[flipzoso]

For either June 17 or 18 or both @ Salle Jean Desperez.

It sold out like two weeks ago, which before I even found out about it.

(Will tape too and hook you up, if thats an incentive)

Edited February 6, 2010 by Guest

[flipzoso]

Okay so I went both nights. Let me just say tonight's show was one of the best I have seen, probably the best of the year so far for me.

[ollie]

I was there last night too. I thought the band reached some epic moments with the soundscape they created in the small theatre. I've seen this band a couple of times before but they have really kicked their musicianship up a notch. The integration of the string quartet was excellent as well. They were so tight with the band like they'd been playing with them for years.

Andre, I couldn't help think how much you would have loved this show. Just seemed like something that would be right up your alley. Same goes for any fan of Radiohead really, of which this band has a strong influence. Also throw in a little Peter Gabriel and Tom Waits.

On a personal note, I do find Watson's songwriting to be a little weak at times, half-baked I guess. I also wish he'd use the full range of his voice more often. He has a tendency to rely on aimless Tom Yorke-like wailing a bit too often.

What an amazing venue though. It's located in the Hull City Hall building on Laurier. Capacity is just under 300 and the sound was out of this world good.

Btw flipzoso , how similar were the shows in terms of setlist and what worked? e.g. Did the "bullhorn backpack" work on the first night?

[ollie]

(Will tape too and hook you up, if thats an incentive)

Did you tape the shows? I would love a copy of both nights!

[Booche]

Did you just complain about Thom Yorke wailing and then make mention to incredible acoustics in the venue a couple of sentences later?

Fuckme, that sounds like heaven.

[flipzoso]

What an amazing venue though. It's located in the Hull City Hall building on Laurier. Capacity is just under 300 and the sound was out of this world good.

Indeed, the venue has beautiful acoustics, probably one of the best theatres in the Ottawa-Hull area.

Btw flipzoso , how similar were the shows in terms of setlist and what worked? e.g. Did the "bullhorn backpack" work on the first night?

Yep, it was working last night and it was pretty cool and funny. But, to be honest, I'm not big on spectacles haha. I was more just watching Rob on the saw, he's great.

The first four, five songs are the same then the set got the order gets a bit mixed. I actually liked the flow of night1 more than last night, but the jams...oh the jams from last night were amazing, just on another level.

You can check out the setlists I posted here:

http://patrick-watson.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=66

(Will tape too and hook you up' date=' if thats an incentive)[/quote']

Did you tape the shows? I would love a copy of both nights!

Here's audio from night1 if you want: http://patrick-watson.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=81

Or if you just want the link, uhh .

As for last night, my recording died right after Machinery. So I missed Storm, Luscious Life, 7feet/Close to the Sun (AMAZING new song), and Great Escpate.

HOWEVER, I do have an alternate inferior source I can patch it to. But this may take time as the initial recording has a constant buzz in the right channel, so I need time to clean that up.

[flipzoso]

Best show I have ever seen. I wrote this elsewhere.

I went to see Patrick Watson live at Festivale Internationale du Jazz in Montreal. Unbelievable, the best show I have ever seen.

Now I saw him back two nights in a row on June 17 and 18, and bother were stunning, the second date was one of my favourites of the years. So being a new know-it-all of his live set, I thought I knew what I was in for. I mean I knew they were going to have a special horn sections and guest singers etc but that was only the surface.

About 50,000? 60,000? maybe more? were in attendance. I was right behind the sound-desk. Nice clear view of the whole stage…including all the buildings and high-tops. ;-)

His set followed the routine opening flow, but that’s the only thing that remained the same was the song “namesâ€. When Fireweed started up with the blanket down and the man running on fire (as per the music video) was projected onto the screen as well as all four adjacent buildings, you couldn’t help but think you were in for something truly unique. You then see the silhouette of Robbie (percussionist) rowing the windmaker but then you hear some noises coming from high up. I noticed about five people set up about five stories high on a platform with steelsheets moving them to crate windsound, and then look up at top-left another ten or so high up doing the same. The projectors shoot out some patterns along the buildings, you see firebuilding up along the walls and then Patrick opens up for the beautiful ThomYorkish vocal melodies with the loop in hand.

Now on his latest album he has a song called Beijing which actually uses a bicycle in the wall of sound, so they had a bicycle attached to a platform fifty feet high in which their friend was riding it with a click in the wheel and the spotlight was on him, Patrick laughing the crowd cheering. Movie reels of streets of Beijing were being projected.

For Wooden Arms, which was written in a park in Amsterdam about big trees, he had a bunch of trees in the back and Marrie-Pierre Arthur a very talented young Canadian singer was on backing.

Big Bird in a Small Cage was opened up acapella by the girls humming the chords, very neat.

Then the blinds went shut and the project screen came out for a little marionette show that was going along with their performance of Travelling Salesman.

For Where The Wild Things are (which was written for the film by Spike Jonze, but Spike ignored it…we assume…which is sad). They had a hand shadow muppet dude from India do it on this silhouette screen making all kinds of interesting shapes and animals with his hands.

Not to mention this whole time the band is amazing btw, they are all extremely talented musicians and the addition of the string section on the latest tour is a wise move.

Finally Patrick brings out the signature megaphone backpack, but ALL the band members had one this time and they were equipped with lights to. The band travelled into the audience amongst the xthousand people playing through it and getting all of them to sing along.

This was probably the highlight of the night.

Then they got a percussionist Guy Nadon to do a long drum solo while they walked back and got ready to end the set with Machinery of the Heavens. With lighted balloons rising from the top of the stage.

For Luscious Life at the very end during the jam they extended it and Patrick kept mentioning “keep it going†as if they were waiting for something, then boom you see the sparks all light up along the building beside the crowd and boom fire lights up the main stage.

Double encore with great escape almost acapella and audience just singing. Followed by Bright Shiny Lights with Trombone call and response.

Zappa Plays Zappa was the best musical performance I have seen but this was the best “show†as in spectacle, I have ever seen.

Check him out on his upcoming tours whenever that may be. Note: it won’t be as grand as this.

And now you can see it all for yourselves http://enmusique.ca/patrickwatson

[Jaimoe]

Watson is excellent. From the little I've heard, he does have the more etheral elements of Radiohead in his sound, but there's also some haunting folk a la Jose Gonzales going on too.

[ollie]

Hey flipzoso,

Did you get the June 18th recording fixed yet? I really enjoyed the first one you posted.

Thanks!

Nice review of the Jazz-fest show. Sounds awesome. I wonder if Watson is going to blow up huge or just sort of stay at this level?

[flipzoso]

Hey flipzoso,

Did you get the June 18th recording fixed yet? I really enjoyed the first one you posted.

Thanks!

Nice review of the Jazz-fest show. Sounds awesome. I wonder if Watson is going to blow up huge or just sort of stay at this level?

The large crowd was due to a lot of external (marketing) factors (free show, 30th anniversary, bell sponsor, special guests, hometown etc) so I don't think he'll hit it this large on a nightly basis in the NEAR future. BUT he gained alot of fans and the momentum is always growing I do think he's going to have an increase of the venue size/shows he plays on his coming tours. And soon maybe...just maybe he will blow up big.

I'll PM you about the recording.

[flipzoso]

then again..

http://www.chartattack.com/reviews/71863/patrick-watsons-show-of-a-lifetime

Montreal's Patrick Watson gave the performance of a lifetime in front of 100,000-plus local fans on Sunday — the type of musical zenith that elevates an artist from your everyday Polaris Music Prize winner and most cherished adopted son of old francophone couples everywhere to mythical, "where were you on that fateful night?" status.

[flipzoso]

big bump....but..

here are some video clips from night #2 in Gatineau:

Big Bird w/ Marie-Pierre Arthur:

Travelling Salesman (wicked end solo):

Machinery of the Heavens:

[flipzoso]

Edited February 7, 2010 by Guest

[flipzoso]

-oops- delete post please

Edited February 7, 2010 by Guest

[flipzoso]

http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20091217watso

Check out the last song "Underneath The Morning Sheets" I mean seriously. How can anyone deny the amazingness.

They are playing Sasquatch too. wiiicked

[Northern Wish]

Despite everything I usually stand for, in that I only like bands if I decide upon first listen I like them, you have converted me.

With repeated posts featuring top notch clips and tunes- and having recently seen the Rehearsal Hall show on TV; I'm in. This guy is better than I gave him credit for, hell he is better than you give him credit for.

Kudos and thanks,

Sean

[flipzoso]

^ Awesome man. Thanks for the "top notch clips" props :-)

Glad you like it.

[flipzoso]

The Haldern 09 show is now up on YT: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=734D9BADFF1D4D24

Not just an amazing performance but also check out the filming and editing job by the crew on tracks like Beijing:

especially during the drum and strings freakout mid way through

[AD]

The latest CBCR3 Sessions podcast features a Patrick Watson show from Montreal.

[flipzoso]

He released a new single yesterday (Tuesday May 25).

http://www.secretcityrecords.com/news/scr012-20

"Sit Down Beside Me" sees Watson return to the more accessible dreamy pop of 2006's Close to Paradise while incorporating the rhythmic lessons learned on 2009's Wooden Arms. Like Watson's breakthrough hit "The Great Escape," the new single has piano and a simple catchy melody at its core, but this one uses that as a launch pad before taking off into outer space. Good luck getting the vocal refrain out of your head when it's done. Enjoy!

Brilliant song, but I remember watching the live videos last month and enjoying those a bit more. But before that here is a link to a live version off it from Vinyl Cafe: http://www.sendspace.com/file/6rxum9

And some YT ones:

Without Erika Angell + quartet:

Oh and they are playing Edmonton Folk Festival.

Edited May 27, 2010 by Guest

[flipzoso]

New single "Je te laisserai des mots" now on iTunes. But its not really new as it is from the soundtrack he wrote for the film, Mere et Filles (the new version is a bit different).

OLD VERSION:

NEW VERSION

[flipzoso]

http://snowdayforlhasa.com/

http://www.spinner.ca/2011/01/05/patrick-watson-snow-day-for-lhasa/

January 1, 2011 marked the first anniversary of the passing of celebrated Montreal singer-songwriter Lhasa de Sala, known to her fans simply as Lhasa. In honour of their good friend, who succumbed to breast cancer at the age of 37, fellow Montreal musician Patrick Watson has collaborated with instrumental group Esmerine to release 'Snow Day for Lhasa.'

"When she passed away it snowed in Montreal for four days, which is why it's called snow day," Watson tells Spinner. "The lyrics are mainly based around how snow ate up the whole city, so I guess that's what I was thinking about when I first wrote them."

Lhasa Remembered

The dreamy lullaby itself is actually based on a song that de Sala had been working on with Esmerine harpist Sarah Pagé before she died. It seemed fitting to Pagé and the other musicians she brought on board, including Watson, that the instrumental number be reworked as a tribute.

"Sarah and I started doing the [final] version like the 14th or 15th of December so it was kind of a last-minute thing," says Watson, who collaborated with de Sala on 2009's 'Wooden Arms,' the follow-up to his Polaris Prize-winning 'Close to Paradise.' "We thought, 'Oh, it would be nice to release it on the anniversary [of her death],' and it kind of all fell into place at the right time."

After meeting at a fundraiser close to a decade ago, de Sala and Watson become, as he puts it, "close buddies." "We helped each other other because we're kind of polar opposites. She was always well-written and well-prepared, and I was always kind of spontaneous, so we always helped each other whenever we could and were always sharing songs."

"I'm very happy that people are going to download the song and think about her," he adds.

Listeners can make a donation to Ontario's Owl Conservatory Foundation in honour of de Sala through the 'Snow Day for Lhasa' website. Watson thinks the cause is fitting for the Juno-winning multilingual musician, who was named 'Best Artist of the Americas' by the BBC's World Music Awards in 2005, in addition to earning many other accolades.

"Finding the right foundation is always an interesting challenge, trying to put yourself into her skin to see where she'd want the money... I think the Owl foundation is great because she loved owls and it was an icon that was kind of around her."

"She was an amazing singer and an amazing friend," says Watson. "It's nice to know that the memory carries on."

Some new shows have been announced as well around Quebec. Timber Timbre opening for first three, and Barr Brothers for latter two.

http://exclaim.ca/News/patrick_watson_books_quebec_tour_recruits_timber_timbre_to_open

Tour dates:

3/24 Longueuil, QC - Salle Pratt et Whitney *


3/25 Saint Jean sur Richelleu, QC - Theatre du Vieux Saint Jean *


3/26 Saint-Therese, QC - Theatre Lionel-Groulx *

4/1 Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC - Salle Albert-Dumouchel ^

4/2 L'Assomption, QC - Théatre Hector Charland ^

* with Timber Timbre

^ with the Barr Brothers

Probably going to hit up a few of these. :-)

[flipzoso]

Patrick Watson's theme song for this film, also seams to feature Brad Barr.