Top 10 concerts and festivals you should have went to in 2008
1) AC/DC “Black Ice”
Most of us grew up loving AC/DC, The Aussie boys are back with a new album and tour. With a mix of classics and new songs The Black Ice tour has sold out in minutes, seven out of 70 shows are NOT sold out -but will most likely be sold out very soon. So if you were one of the very lucky ones who got to see the band, you've earned your bragging rights.
2) Warped Tour
The tour has kind of lost it's appeal to me, but it's still one of the greatest tours ever! Mixing over 50 bands, plus skateboarding, bmxing all in one day you can't go wrong. This year on the bill was Katy Perry, Against Me!, Gym Class Heroes, M.I.A., Rise Against and Paramore to name a few. Warped tour is something that every music lover should experience once in their life.
3) Rihanna
Good Girl Gone Bad Tour started in September 2007 and is wrapping up in December in Mexico. Rihanna never stops, she was on the Glow In The Dark tour with Kanye West, still pumping out the hits, finding time to go to charity events and making music videos. Her show in Casablanca, Morocco was the biggest turn out with 100,000 attending. With Ciara opening for the U.K. dates, Akon opening in Canada and Chris Brown in Australia and New Zealand, for those of us that didn't get to see Rihanna we really wish we did.
4) Bayfest
This festival in Sarnia has two different weekend festivals. One dedicated to rock, and the other to country. The rock line-up this year featured Bon Jovi, Fergie, and Motely Cru (which almost didn't get to perform because some people in Sarnia didn't like Nikki Sixx's book Heroin Diaries, which was based on his struggles with heroin addiction). The country line up this past year was Big and Rich, Rascal Flatts and Crystal Gage.
5) Hawk Rocks the Park
This year was Hawk Rocks the Park fifth year, this year raising money for Bethany's Hope Foundation to further research into Metachromatic Leukodystroph. An impressive 15 bands over four days. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, April Wine and Tom Cochrane and Red Rider definitely makes this a festival for Classic Rock lovers.
6) LOLA
It's been a London tradition for the past few years, mixing art and music. This year was special because the organizers of the event made the art exhibit part of the downtown core, having pieces of art posted on the side of buildings and inside of store windows. Most of the shows were free, this year there was an organic food stand, and performances from Holy Fuck, Do Make Say Think, and Plants & Animals.
7) Death Cab For Cutie
This band went on tour this summer to support their album Narrow Stairs that was released this past May. On June 6 they stopped in Toronto and performed an afternoon show on the Toronto Island, and currently are getting ready to tour Europe.
8) Spice Girls
Every girl's (and some guys) dream to go see their favourite girl group perform one last time. I luckily got to go see them on their final night EVER! And it was worth every penny spent. Performing old songs, and new ones it was good to see Ginger, Baby, Posh, Scary and Sporty all on one stage doing what they were born to do.
9) Virgin Fest
This year V-fest made a stop in Calgary Alberta, but we all wish we were at the Toronto V-Fest this year. The Foo Fighters, Wintersleep, Shad, Moby and Oasis. Tickets are a fair price, a little more the $100 gets you a two day festival pass plus your ferry pass to and from the Island. Love Oasis or hate ‘em we all have to say we kind of enjoyed seeing Noel Gallagher, and we were all impressed that the band came back out on stage to finish their set (if you know anything about Oasis' history, read up on the Gallagher brothers), but we were not impressed that they had to reschedule their London Ontario set because of Noel's bruised ribs, Oasis will be performing at the JLC on December 15.
10) The Glow In The Dark Tour
With shutter shades everywhere, this concert had a great line up and stage presence. Started April 16 in Seattle, Washington, and is wrapping up December 7 in Brisbane Australia. The line-up included Lupe Fiasco, Rihanna, N.E.R.D. and special performances from Nas, Gnarles Barkley, Chris Brown, and Jay-Z. Rumour has it right now that Rihanna may not be performing at the last three shows, although Ticketmaster billed the performances to be from Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D.
Most of us grew up loving AC/DC, The Aussie boys are back with a new album and tour. With a mix of classics and new songs The Black Ice tour has sold out in minutes, seven out of 70 shows are NOT sold out -but will most likely be sold out very soon. So if you were one of the very lucky ones who got to see the band, you've earned your bragging rights.
2) Warped Tour
The tour has kind of lost it's appeal to me, but it's still one of the greatest tours ever! Mixing over 50 bands, plus skateboarding, bmxing all in one day you can't go wrong. This year on the bill was Katy Perry, Against Me!, Gym Class Heroes, M.I.A., Rise Against and Paramore to name a few. Warped tour is something that every music lover should experience once in their life.
3) Rihanna
Good Girl Gone Bad Tour started in September 2007 and is wrapping up in December in Mexico. Rihanna never stops, she was on the Glow In The Dark tour with Kanye West, still pumping out the hits, finding time to go to charity events and making music videos. Her show in Casablanca, Morocco was the biggest turn out with 100,000 attending. With Ciara opening for the U.K. dates, Akon opening in Canada and Chris Brown in Australia and New Zealand, for those of us that didn't get to see Rihanna we really wish we did.
4) Bayfest
This festival in Sarnia has two different weekend festivals. One dedicated to rock, and the other to country. The rock line-up this year featured Bon Jovi, Fergie, and Motely Cru (which almost didn't get to perform because some people in Sarnia didn't like Nikki Sixx's book Heroin Diaries, which was based on his struggles with heroin addiction). The country line up this past year was Big and Rich, Rascal Flatts and Crystal Gage.
5) Hawk Rocks the Park
This year was Hawk Rocks the Park fifth year, this year raising money for Bethany's Hope Foundation to further research into Metachromatic Leukodystroph. An impressive 15 bands over four days. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, April Wine and Tom Cochrane and Red Rider definitely makes this a festival for Classic Rock lovers.
6) LOLA
It's been a London tradition for the past few years, mixing art and music. This year was special because the organizers of the event made the art exhibit part of the downtown core, having pieces of art posted on the side of buildings and inside of store windows. Most of the shows were free, this year there was an organic food stand, and performances from Holy Fuck, Do Make Say Think, and Plants & Animals.
7) Death Cab For Cutie
This band went on tour this summer to support their album Narrow Stairs that was released this past May. On June 6 they stopped in Toronto and performed an afternoon show on the Toronto Island, and currently are getting ready to tour Europe.
8) Spice Girls
Every girl's (and some guys) dream to go see their favourite girl group perform one last time. I luckily got to go see them on their final night EVER! And it was worth every penny spent. Performing old songs, and new ones it was good to see Ginger, Baby, Posh, Scary and Sporty all on one stage doing what they were born to do.
9) Virgin Fest
This year V-fest made a stop in Calgary Alberta, but we all wish we were at the Toronto V-Fest this year. The Foo Fighters, Wintersleep, Shad, Moby and Oasis. Tickets are a fair price, a little more the $100 gets you a two day festival pass plus your ferry pass to and from the Island. Love Oasis or hate ‘em we all have to say we kind of enjoyed seeing Noel Gallagher, and we were all impressed that the band came back out on stage to finish their set (if you know anything about Oasis' history, read up on the Gallagher brothers), but we were not impressed that they had to reschedule their London Ontario set because of Noel's bruised ribs, Oasis will be performing at the JLC on December 15.
10) The Glow In The Dark Tour
With shutter shades everywhere, this concert had a great line up and stage presence. Started April 16 in Seattle, Washington, and is wrapping up December 7 in Brisbane Australia. The line-up included Lupe Fiasco, Rihanna, N.E.R.D. and special performances from Nas, Gnarles Barkley, Chris Brown, and Jay-Z. Rumour has it right now that Rihanna may not be performing at the last three shows, although Ticketmaster billed the performances to be from Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D.
