  Yesterday we went to the urlLink Curiosa festival in Toronto. Besides the ridiculous cost of concert shirts (bought one for $40) and food (beer and jumbo pretzel for $9.25), it was a great concert-going experience. Naturally, I prefer club gigs, but this sort of show had to be at a larger venue ( urlLink Molson Amphitheatre ) because of its two-stage nature. I found it highly enjoyable. As I mentioned, there were two stages. I only saw one band at the second stage ( urlLink Cooper Temple Clause ), but I thought they were fairly good.
The setup there was much more to my liking - more like one of the larger clubs. It would have been a much better location for urlLink Mogwai , which was actually the first band I saw. As with the first time I saw them, they were fabulous. And loud. However, the huge and wide-open space at the Amphitheatre really didn't do them justice. I much preferred their show at the urlLink Horseshoe .
After Mogwai was when I went to see Cooper Temple Clause. I got back to the main stage just in time for urlLink The Rapture - again, a fabulous performance, although I preferred their show at urlLink Kool Haus . They were a lot of fun, at any rate. During the break after The Rapture is when I wandered about in search of sustenance. I had the option of purchasing water for $3.50 or beer for like $5... obviously, the choice was beer. The pretzel I bought was rather good, and from what my husband said it was much better than his rather disappointing steamed sausage.
Steamed? Come on, people - really! urlLink Interpol was next. It was the first time I had seen them. I was not disappointed. They are definitely better live than on disc - and they're great on disc.
I'd love to see them in a club gig. The singer sounded even more urlLink Ian Curtis -y than recorded. I was impressed. I missed the Muse show on the second stage, but it's not killing me. I was sticking around for the main event - urlLink The Cure . They were fabulous.
For a fat, old guy, Robert's simply amazing! His voice still does everything it's supposed to. And I enjoyed this show much more than the first time I saw them, which was in (I think) 1993 (wow - is it really 11 years?). You know, even with all the younger, bizarrely attired people there, I didn't feel out of place. I've been a Cure fan since I first heard them in 1986. And I know, even that makes me a latecomer.
There were some fabulous people there with grey hair and fanny packs - but you know that they are the original Cure fans. It was very cool to see them there. I rarely have anything good to say about "arena" shows. urlLink The Verve was an exception. So was Curiosa. I was - and remain - truly impressed. 
