Near the back on the grass at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

Bdot and I had last Wednesday off. It was the date of the Dixie Chicks concert that I got her for Christmas. I’ve surprisingly, never been to the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre so it was interesting to see the venue. We were blessed with a perfect day. Even the sunset was pretty impressive. We found parking for *cough* $25 across the street on the Exhibition grounds. Security was pretty tight. The list of allowable on the Ampi website doesn’t match the signage they had there. Many people had ‘normal’ sized chairs. So here is the actual list for future reference:

There were tons of food and drink options once inside the park. But bring a ton of money. The prices are ridiculous. One Molson Canadian Tallboy was around $16! So needless to say I didn’t drink at all. Many did however. We luckily came a bit early. The grass section is a massive open area. It is first come first serve. So if you want a section of lawn you best be on time. I’m not sure how they calculate the number of people they allow onto the lawn, but it was crammed by the time the Chicks started. There were two opening acts. Josh Herbert was a poppy/country duo. I didn’t mind them. Anderson East however was incredibly dull. Sure they could play but still, so dull… They illicited nearly no reaction from the crowd. It almost seemed like a ploy to make the Chicks appear to have much energy. It was clear the crowd was only there to the Chicks. Most of the crowd stood as soon as they took the stage.

I recall the last time I saw the Chicks being unimpressed with the stage show. This night was a complete 180. Stunning professionally produced, vivid, engaging videos… lights synced with LCDs on stage… it was what I expect from a headliner. The sound at the Amphitheatre was very good. Not deafening, which was fine, but clear and loud. I was quite impressed. Since the Chicks haven’t released any new material in years the show was old hits and a few covers. The one cover that stood out to me (and possibly only me) was the cover of Motorhead’s Ace of Spades. Yes guy. The Chicks covered fscking Motorhead \m/. Granted it was just a pre-recorded video but it was awesome. I think I was in the 1% of the crowd that actually recognized the track and tribute to Lemmy. It sure bought the Chicks the ton of credit with me. I love the cross pollination of genres.

It was a fun night. I did enjoy the show. The Dixies Chicks are much more than a country band. They incorporate many genres into their music. Perhaps this has led to their popularity?

A couple shots from the show.

Impressive stage show. Taking a shot a US politics in this shot

Some of the video would have been at home at numerous Rock shows

By end of the night the lawn was a mess of litter. Cans and garbage everywhere. Some of the sidewalks to get out of the Amphitheatre were completely covered in cans and plastic bottles. Meh. Other than the stupid product pricing and garbage, the Amphitheatre was impressive. I’d certainly return. If the conditions are good the lawn is actually not a bad option.

Update!

Speaking of music… the speaker quest ended on the Polk Audio RTi A7s! A sale came up in the exact range I was willing to pay so I jumped at the chance. I could only afford one at the moment but will certainly start saving for a second.

Polk Audio RTi A7

I don’t think I’ve ever owned a full range speaker. This is a little odd considering how much music I listen to. The speaker is quite amazing. It is an imposing bastard for sure. It should be – it kicks out clear sharp sound that I’m rather unaccustomed to, specially with lossless files. Mmmm flac. Yes that’s a Bumble.