I was really excited for this show at Zaphod Beeblebrox on January 11, 2013.
It felt a little like déjà vu from the previous year, when I saw Yamantaka // Sonic Titan in Ottawa, except this time the show was at a different venue and started much earlier. Despite the early start, Zaphod was absolutely packed.
The buzz surrounding Yamantaka // Sonic Titan was growing quickly, especially after their 2012 album landed on the Polaris Music Prize shortlist.
Who says Ottawa is a boring city?
The night started with Ottawa’s own Boyhood. I was especially happy to finally catch them live after missing their tape-release show back in December. Their experimental alternative pop sounded fantastic in a live setting, with a raw and energetic quality that immediately got the crowd moving.
And yes, Caylie managed to make it through the set without bleeding on her guitar this time. 😛
It was an amazing rocking set from start to finish and a great way to kick off the night.
Then finally, it was time for YT//ST!
Can you believe this was already my sixth time seeing Yamantaka // Sonic Titan?
My first time was back in 2010 at POP Montreal, so I was especially excited to see them return to Ottawa after their previous visit the year before.
Of course, they entered in style—with the Dragon.
You have to give props to the Ottawa Explosion crew for helping make this show so completely crazy and wild.
As soon as Yamantaka // Sonic Titan started playing, the crowd erupted. People were moshing left, right and centre, with crowd surfers making their way through the room until security eventually had to put a stop to it.
Thankfully, I managed to avoid getting clobbered in the chaos!
Even when they played “Atalanta//Whale Song,” their epic piano-driven prog-rock ballad, the crowd was still going completely wild.
When they played “Hoshi Neko,” the audience sang along to the Japanese-language prog-rock song.
It’s surprisingly easy to sing along to, and hearing the whole room join in was definitely one of the highlights of the night.
It had been a while since I’d seen Zaphod this packed and this energetic.
Despite the early show time, I was simply happy to see Yamantaka // Sonic Titan live again.
Whether they’re playing a small club or a larger venue, their performances are always an experience.
One of my favourite moments came when Alaska dedicated part of the set to #IdleNoMore, delivering the memorable line about “Prime Minister Penis Harbor.”
The entire show was visually entertaining, musically explosive and completely unpredictable—the kind of performance that reminds you why seeing Yamantaka // Sonic Titan live is so special.
And once again, Ottawa proved it can get pretty wild.
Here are the rest of the photos from the show.
Comments
Thanks for linking to our YT // ST photos!