Music

Review: Owen Pallett with Snowblink at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre

by Rochelle Latinsky

Walking into the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, it was evident that many surprises were in store. This rainy Thursday evening provided the perfect opportunity to be nestled inside listening to beautiful music in a beautiful space. The theatre has been touted as the premier performance venue, at 1250 seats, it’s lack of intimacy was very evident for a hometown stop for Owen Pallett (formerly Final Fantasy). The choice of Snowblink as the opening act might have also contributed to that feeling.

Daniella Gesundheit has a rare gift, her haunting soprano voice and minimal instrumental and often just one backing musician is an absolute treat to watch live. Having seen her play in much smaller venues, it was evident that she was intimidated by the sheer size of the Queen Elizabeth theatre. Her set was full of stop starts, and despite the great stage banter, her nerves often took away from how breathtaking her performance usually is. Even her interactive element of handing out bells to the audience to chime along was almost lost in the vast expanse of the venue. It was so quiet in the audience that you could hear a pin drop. Despite the small flaws, showing up early for her set is key, maybe if you’re lucky she will do her impeccable cover of Dolly Parton’s Jolene, which itself is worth the price of admission.

After a quick intermission, the energy of the room began to rise. Seats were filled and a still silent audience waited attentively for their hometown hero to take the stage. One surprise element to his setup was the inclusion of snare and tom drums, as well as a second microphone. The confusion was shortly vanquished when Owen took the stage. Looking dapper in a summer suit and his de rigueur stocking feet, he started strong with a few old favourites. Then Thomas Gil (THOMAS) joined him on stage, to delve into the material from Owens latest release Heartland. Once again, the size of the venue took its toll, despite the vocals coming through strong and clear, all other instruments were just a muddled mess. It’s a shame because the new material has a much more robust sound meaning that it’s become a necessity to tour with backing musicians.

Owen Pallet epitomizes everything artists and musicians should strive to be. His musicianship is unmatched. His set was well balanced between new and old material, satisfying both new and old fans. He also had nothing but great things to say about Snowblink, which is completely valid.

He is continuing westward on tour with Snowblink as a support act. He has two more Canadian dates May 10th in Vancouver and May 11th in Victoria, before heading to the exotic lands of Paris, Helsinki, and Barcelona.