FEW THINGS ARE AS DISAPPOINTING TO ME AS GOING TO A LIVE SHOW AND HAVING THE FEATURED ARTIST PUT ON A LACKLUSTER PERFORMANCE. I CAN OVER LOOK ALMOST ANYTHING AT A CONCERT. POOR SOUND QUALITY, A BAD VENUE LOCATION, EVEN A DEAD CROWD CAN BE REDEEMED BY AN AWESOME PERFORMANCE FROM AN ARTIST. A REAL PERFORMER WILL PUT ON AN AMAZING SHOW NO MATTER WHERE OR HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THERE TO SEE IT.
THAT BEING THE CASE I WANT TO PRAISE A COUPLE OF PERFORMANCES THAT I RECENTLY ATTENDED IN TORONTO. THE FIRST ONE WAS REGGAE NIGHT AT THE CANADIAN NATIONAL EXHIBITION (C.N.E). FREDDIE MCGREGOR WAS PERFORMING AT AN OUTDOORS VENUE ON THE EXHIBITION GROUNDS AND BEFORE THE SHOW EVEN STARTED IT HAD ALREADY BEGAN TO RAIN. FREDDIE CAME ON DISPITE THE RAIN AND EVEN PLAYED SOME OF HIS HITS SONGS EARLIER IN THE SHOW INCASE PEOPLE HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE OF THE RAIN. THE SHOW DIDNT STOP THOUGH AND FREDDIE MCGREGOR DID A WHOLE SET PLUS A LONG ENCORE. HALFWAY THROUGH HE EXCLAIMED "IM NOT GOING TO STOP SINGING UNTIL MY SHIRT IS COMPLETELY SOAKED!" EVEN WITH THE RAIN HIS PRESENCE ON STAGE KEPT HUNDREDS OF HIS FANS DANCING AND ENJOYING THEMSELVES.
ANOTHER WAY AN ARTIST CAN MAKE A NIGHT SPECIAL IS TO INTERACT WITH HIS FANS. SOMETIMES AN ARTIST GOES AROUND IN A BULLET PROOF VEST LOOKING AT US FANS LIKE SOME UNWASHED MASS TO BE AVOIDED. ITS ALWAYS NICE TO SEE AN ARTIST BREAK DOWN THAT BARRIER TO CHAT, TAKE PHOTOS OR OTHERWISE PERSONALIZE THE EXPERIENCE OF A SHOW. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH A RECENT PERFORMANCE OF I-OCTANCE AT THE KOOL HAUS IN TORONTO. NOT ONLY DID I-OCTANE BRING SOME FANS ON TO THE STAGE TO DANCE AND DO A LITTLE WHINE OFF COMPETITION, HE CAME DOWN AND PERFORMED A NUMBER OF SONGS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DANCEFLOOR. IT TOTALLY HYPED UP THE CROWD AND BROUGHT A GREAT ENERGY TO THE REST OF THE SHOW.
SO BIG UP ALL THE ARTISTS WHO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR THIER FANS.
BALANCE,
JAHZILLA
