Music Spotlight: Canadian Idol Theo Tams
Well, I have been trying to make it to see Theo Tams performing live for some time now, and once I bought a ticket for the show on August 19th at the Lebovic Centre for Arts & Entertainment in Stouffville, Ontario, I knew it was finally on. As the time drew near, my excitement grew, despite the fact I had made the decision to drive up to Toronto by myself. So after working a partial day, I started up on the 18th, driving for 7.5 hours to Batavia, NY, where I stayed the night, just a few hours from Toronto. I woke up still excited, packed up the car and drove to Niagara Falls where I crossed the border with great ease. IT wasn't long before I was at the hotel in Markham, hoping to take a nap before heading to the show in Stouffville, about 35 minutes away. Well, I was just too excited, so there was no sleep to be had. instead I made sure I had all my cameras ready, fully charged and ready to go. I showered and put on my nicest clothing, and headed off, excited to finally be seeing Theo, and meeting some online friends as well.
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Left to right: Sue, me, Theo, Melony & Cathy in Stouffville.
I drove to Stouffville, parked the car, and made my way to the theater. I was a bit early, and picked up my ticket and started wandering a bit. I noticed on the ticket it said no cameras or videos, so I certainly didn't want to drive 10+ hours to get myself tossed, and figured I would leave them in my bag. I soon ran into Sue, and chatted a bit, although I will admit I was so excited I was to the nervous/quiet stage. Soon we were joined by Melony & Cathy (with a 'C'), and we made our way into the theater. To our surprise, our seats were front-row-center, so close we could practically reach out and touch the instruments on the stage. As the audience filled in, my excitement only grew. I was quite the tight little ball of nerves by then. Soon, the lights dimmed and the opening act, the band StereoGoesStellar, came one. Well, not so much the band, as the lead singer/keyboardist, and he performed the first couple of songs solo before being joined by the rest of the band. Well, not so much the rest of the band as 3 outta 5 members for an acoustic set.
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StereoGoesStellar: Left: Mick & Jeremy. Right: Mick, Jeremy & Iain.
Lead singer/keyboardist Jeremy kicked it off with a couple of songs before being joined by Mick and Iain on the stage, and continuing to deliver a very nice acoustic version of their Pop/Rock music. The talented young men seemed at ease with the audience, who appreciated their efforts. I was especially fond of their songs Twenty-Two and Wish Upon A Plastic Star. You can sample some of their music on their website here. Their self-titled album is also available on iTunes here.
But, to be honest, I was there to see Theo, and spent much of their set glancing at the grand piano on the stage, knowing Theo would be playing it soon. And after a brief intermission, I thought I was gonna explode when the lights came up, and Theo Tams walked on stage. Looking quite dapper in his crisp white shirt and jeans, with an immediately engaging smile. He chats a bit, then starts playing. I felt a bit of a chill run up my spine, and I took grip of my seat, preparing myself to hear his voice, his music, something I have been dying to do for over a year. When he started, I felt myself exhale, as his voice was every bit as rich, beautiful, and textured as I had hoped for. As the show went on, he freely mixed his original material with some beautiful covers, from Tracy Chapman to Britney Spears. When he sang Lazy Lovers, I felt a tear falling , quickly intercepted by my hand. I certainly felt them well up again for his original song Broken.
http://www.youtube.com/v/BKV_iXkP01k?fs=1&hl=en_US
Video courtesy of Sue Jackson from an earlier tour stop.
I have to admit it took a few songs before I remembered other people were there, and they had cameras. By the middle of the show, I grew bold and took my still camera out of the bag, and took a few pictures of my own
For more on my experience in Toronto and Theo Tams Music, click through to Soundtrack to my Day.