Feist/Hayden
Date: October 25, 2008 Wild Card Inside When Feist played at Bluesfest this summer, she mentioned that she would be making an arena tour this fall. Standing as far back as I was at the time, and remembering recent club shows, I decided that I would probably pass on seeing her in such a large setting. Luckily, the Ottawa tour date ended up being scheduled at Southam Hall in the National Arts Centre, a fantastic venue. With Hayden acting as the opener, creating a great double bill, there was no doubt that I would see Feist at least another time. I'm glad that I made it out, as Feist again demonstrated how she has earned such an increased audience and proved capable of transforming her performance to project to that large crowd. This was my fourth time seeing Hayden this year, having caught his two solo shows in January and his Bluesfest appearance. As with that last performance, Hayden was again backed by Cuff the Duke. That squad knows when to add muscle to Hayden's songs, as with the three-guitar attack of "Dynamite Walls," and when to take a more reserved approach, as with the leisurely "In Field & Town." Hayden's eight-song set was reminiscent of that summer gig, with "Home by Saturday," "Where and When," and "Did I Wake Up Beside You?" joining the aforementioned songs as repeat offerings. As a big fan of Hayden's last album, this was a welcome familiarity for me, although I also enjoyed the wrinkles added to the songs, as when Hayden raided Feist's band to provide the trumpet for "Where and When." The major bonus of this set, though, was the revelation of two new songs, "Let's Break Out!" and one whose name I did not catch, but which was augmented by Feist's whole band. (Hayden introduced the former as the most country thing he has ever done.) Each made a good first impression, leaving me with hopes that Hayden's next album will follow soon. The other plus on this night was that Hayden's stage charm shined through, although he kept a solid pace and limited himself to one story, of an awkward conversation with a fan at a festival. This comical misadventure did not seem to limit the number of people who lined up to talk to Hayden after his set, which was likely indicative of the number of ticket-holders who were there partly for him and the good will that he earned with a strong performance. Southam Hall certainly sounded great for both artists, although it was Feist who lived up to the theatre setting. She has clearly made an effort to incorporate more visuals into her stage show, as first illustrated when she took the stage carrying a lantern and set up behind a screen, performing "Help Is On Its Way" while silhouetted. This was a perfect representation of the concert to follow, with Feist's strong and expressive voice being looped to commanding effect, while the scene added another element to the performance. For this tour, Feist incorporated a team of shadow artists, who worked a projector with slides, puppets, and finger paints to provide animations on the back wall; roved the stage with spotlights to cast towering shadows on the backdrop; and manned cameras to film quirky closeups, such as Feist's tapping feet or the piano bridge. At one point, one of the girls walked out and planted a stepladder, climbed over Feist's head, and snowed confetti on her for a few seconds, before primly packing up and marching away. It was all light-hearted, endearing, and effective, which is, of course, an apt description of Feist herself. While the imagery offered unexpected delights throughout the night, I was not at all surprised by Feist, who was every bit as effortlessly charismatic and musically powerful as she has proven herself to be in past concerts. Her backing unit of Afie Jurvanen and brothers Bryden, Jay, and Jesse Baird was also predictably solid. Songs ranging from the tender "So Sorry" to the cheerful "Mushaboom," and from the percussion-heavy "When I Was a Young Girl" to the piano-led "My Moon My Man" were all impeccably and passionately delivered. Like Hayden, Feist unveiled a pair of unreleased songs in the middle of the set, having her band depart for a solo offering of "Sunset" and following with "Eye on the Prize." The NAC provides amazing acoustics but the formal setting does keep people a bit more sedate. Feist did her part to draw people in, both with her performance and her banter, starting with a joke about how well they can clean up a hockey rink for a show, noting the environment around her. A few young fans at the front refused to be held back by the upscale atmosphere, leaving their seats early on to dance along with "I Feel It All." Their enthusiasm was rewarded at the night's end, when Feist brought them on stage to shake their way through a raucous, set-closing "Sealion." An encore saw Feist again start silhouetted against a screen but this time it was at the piano for "The Water." After "Secret Heart," Feist concluded with her traditional closer, "Let It Die." A projected credit sequence thanking the performers and crew ended the concert on a suitably theatrical note. I was very thankful that Feist's stop in Ottawa skipped the arenas in favour of the NAC, an appropriately grand venue for what was a soaring show. Feist proved that she has retained her charm and command of the audience, even as that audience has grown quickly in recent years, and Hayden was also in fine form, resulting in an excellent concert. Hayden setlist Set
Feist setlist Main Set
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