Smoking On The Water

I haven't seen singer Emma-Lee in probably a year. So I went down to the Massey Hall Patio series on Thursday for an early evening show. Like last year, the organizers set up the stage in the middle of a shallow pool. But this summer, they've have placed the tables and patio furniture along the deeper side of the outdoor space, allowing for more room to sit.

With her hair dyed black, wearing a tight dress, and eschewing her guitar, Emma-Lee has gone full pop singer. For tonight's performance, she had a full band including long-time collaborator Karen Kosowski. Over two sets, they did all new material from her upcoming 2016 album. Amazingly, her sets did not include any new songs that she showcased the last time I saw her. The two women must have been doing a lot of song-writing.

The first set had feel-good anthems like God Doesn't Know My Name and Glass (even cover song Dancing On My Own) reminiscent of Katy Perry. In the 2nd set, the music had more R'n'B flavour, and numbers like Mercy and Not Giving Up On You packed a big punch.