Acid Rain

On Tuesday, it was back to Nathan Phillip Square for another free concert. I arrived just as Rich Aucoin was wrapping up. His show has a reputation for being over-the-top and exuberant. From the crowd hopping under a giant blanket, to confetti guns blasting into the air, and plenty of dancing and jumping on stage, it certainly looked like a lot of fun.

Next up was Cold Specks. Fun isn't really a word to describe her music. As she herself wryly introduced songs "about decapitation" or "here's another morbid tune", her music mined funereal themes and feelings. Appropriately enough, the sky started to lightly drizzle during her set. She started and ended her set with a capella songs which really showcased her unique voice. It's powerful but not "pleasant" in the manner of a pop diva. So there was nothing soothing about her singing: "gospel" music not to fill you with hope but drive you to drink.

On the South Stage, which extended out onto the large reflecting pool at the square, a group of ballet dancers performed a contemporary ballet piece called Venom. Greta Hodgkinson was surrounded by men who grasped and clung to her. Sometimes she accepted their embrace, and other times she kicked them away. I was impressed with their handling of the outdoor condition. In regular recitals, you don't have flashing cameras in your face, even if they were done 20 feet away. Alas, the off-and-on-again rain became a sudden downpour about half-way through their performance. They had to stop, graciously accepted the applause, and like the rest of us made a dash for shelter.