My Boy Josh

This past week I got the opportunity to go see an old friend in concert who I had been missing quite a lot. His name is Josh Groban. Okay, so maybe he isn't an actual friend of mine, but I like to believe he would love a girl like myself if he ever happened to meet me! Throughout my time of being a Josh Groban fan, I have had the opportunity to see him perform live twice now. The first time I saw him was at the John Labbatt Centre in London, Ontario during his "Awake Tour" in 2007. I can still remember how excited I was to finally get to see this amazing vocalist live. My parents warned me prior to getting to the venue about the location of our seats which were literally the last row in the nose bleed sections. I was able to touch the back wall if that gives you a bit of perspective. Josh Groban sang his heart out and even though he looked like a tiny ant from where I was sitting, it didn't bother me one bit.

The best part of this concert experience came a few days after. I was sitting at home watching TV when a family friend rang the doorbell. As he came into the house, he called me over and continued to tell me that he had something to give me. As he pulled a CD from behind his back, I noticed it was a Josh Groban CD that I already had, but I had judged it too quickly. I took a better look at the front and saw the black sharpie writing that read, "To: Shelby, From: Josh". The moment I read that the screaming started. This was and still is easily the coolest thing that I have ever received! The simple fact that for a split second Josh Groban wrote down my name or even knew my name was good enough for me.

Fast forward to this past Friday night at the Air Canada Centre. Josh is currently on tour for his "In the Round World Tour". This concert was much more intimate because the stage was literally round circle in the middle of the arena. A few days eariler, my mom was browsing Groupon, a bulk sales website, when the offer for $25.00 dollar Josh Groban tickets popped up. Without knowing what seats we were going to get, we ordered four and were ready for round two with Joshy. Unlike the previous back seat concert experience, we found out our seat location and could hardly believe it! We could ACTUALLY see the stage! We were seated 10 rows from the ground floor and had the perfect view of Josh and his band. The band featured an outstanding violinist who at one point ripped the best solo of Aerosmith's "Dream On" I have ever heard. His opening act was a singer, previously on the show The Voice and a back up singer for the late Michael Jackson, Judith Hill. Josh's set was an hour and a half and a perfect balance of his newer songs and his classics. Some of my favourites included: You Raise Me Up, Remember When It Rained and To Where You Are.

Another major highlight of the night was his commentary. In between songs, he took the time to talk to the audience, tell us a bit about himself and also answer some questions that Toronto fans had sent in. One question came from Bob. Josh called out to the crowd asking where Bob was sitting and he just happened to be on the ground seats. Bob stood up and Josh told the crowd that it seemed that he had something important to ask his girlfriend. (Cue the entire arena cheering because it is very clear that translates to PROPOSAL). Bob got down on one knee and popped the question. Although to some people this might seem the ultimate example of cheesiness, to me it was just too adorable. Some very special moments take place during concerts. Whether its a proposal or seeing your favourite artist for the very first time, concert going is an experience of its own. Nothing beats it and nothing ever will.

Josh Groban's 2013 Album "All That Echoes"

Thanksgiving and Music

This past weekend was a time to sit back and remember all the things you are thankful for. For myself, one of the things that would be very close to the top of the list would be my cottage. A major tradition in my family is to pack everything and everyone into the car and head to the cottage for Thanksgiving weekend. Saturday is our big family turkey dinner. My Grandma always says every year, "I am not cooking the turkey this year," but always ends up in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the bird. The cousins have the classic job of set up and take down aka set the table and wash the dishes after dinner. As the day goes on, the cottage slowly begins to start like heaven. The aromas of a slowly cooking turkey, warm stuffing and sweet turnip casserole come together and linger in the air. Once we are all set and ready to eat, there is always one more thing our family does which is turning on the music.

For some families, dinner is always accompanied by some light music in the background. And for some others, this probably sounds like a completely ridiculous thing to do. For the Brennan's, the sounds of Michael Buble tend to always play around dinner time at the cottage. This year at Thanksgiving Dinner, my Grandma Ann had a different request. As the same old Michael Buble CD began to play, she ordered that we mix things up a bit. As we scrolled through the iPod to find something suitable, my Dad said he had just the thing for my Grandma. This Thanksgiving was to be the Thanksgiving of Vera Lynn. The moment her music began, you could see the nostalgia stream across my Grandma's face. Although I wasn't hugely familiar with Vera Lynn herself or her music, I couldn't help but enjoy it. Every song was just so classic and beautiful. My Grandma began telling us about how this was the time of music she was listening to at our age. For my younger cousins and I, we couldn't help but realize how much has changed from then to now. To me, it seems that the music we hear on the radio today lacks the passion and intention that the music of the past had. There are too many songs out there today that sound exactly the same as the next which leaves little to be desired on Top 40 radio.

As Vera Lynn's greatest hits album came to an end, several Tony Bennett classics made their way through the speakers. And the only thing I could think of when 'I Left My Heart in San Fransisco' come on was, "Once a classic, always a classic." Here's to the oldies but most importantly, the goodies.

Glam: Music from the 80's

Throughout my four years at Western University, my theatre performing fell somewhere near the end of my priorities list. Between homework, social life and working, I really didn't feel that I had enough time during the week to commit to a musical. Although there had been a club at Western that put on musicals, nothing really ever caught my attention or drew me in. As the end of fourth year creeped up on me, I received a message from my old singing instructor, Erin Bree. She asked me if I was going to be moving home after I graduated, and considering my aching back account and upcoming new scholarly endeavours, I told her yes. This is where my exciting journey with "Glam: Music from the 80's" starts. This show is an hour and a half revue of all of the best 80's music. It is also exactly the songs you are thinking about right now and so much more. It features hits from legends such as Whitney Houston, Madonna, Heart and of course Journey. A few tunes that I will be belting out include 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' by Whitney Houston, 'I Want Candy' and a few more you will have to come to hear!

I have the privilege of sharing the stage with six outstanding female adult voices, and four talented teenage singers as well. At first, the thought of having to sing with such amazing talented women was a bit intimidating. I haven't done a theatre show in over four years and now am throwing myself right back into the swing of things. But, as we began rehearsals at the beginning of September, there was one thing that became very clear to me; I could still do it. Despite the fact that I hadn't been performing as much over the past few years, I still had the confidence and skills to be part of a great show. Every single person in the cast has the talent, drive and support in each other to get through the tough dance rehearsals and long vocal practices. As of right now, the cast and I are in high gear prepping for the final performances that are right around the corner. The last few weeks of any show are crunch time because no one wants to be the one who forgets when the last box step is in the dance number. Hopefully it isn't me! This show is guaranteed to have everyone in the crowd moving and singing along. The show features songs that everyone knows and secretly loves! If you are looking for something to do on Friday November 8th or Saturday November 9th at 8pm, come on out! The show will be performed at the Citadel Theatre in Hamilton with tickets at $22. For more show details, check out Erin Bree Production's for all things Glam. I am so thrilled to be back in the theatre, sharing my voice and some great music with everyone! Enjoy the show!