this year.

I don’t really know what to say about Xavier Rudd’s show at The Phoenix Concert Theater in TO. It was amazing. I don’t know if one person could play more instruments at one time, and still make such beautiful music. The man feels every song, and allows the audience in on the joy he obviously feels from performing. When I tell people about Xavier Rudd, and that he plays the Yidaki (or Didgeridoo, as it is commonly known as), people don’t know what to think. All I can then say is, “You have to hear him.” Lucky for you he allows taped live shows to be traded on line, and archive.org has a plentiful supply. Pick the show you like. They tend to have them in mp3, Ogg and Flac format. I recomend the Horseshoe Tavern show, and the Iwaki Auditorium show.

I’d like to say something profound, or have so new take on this musician, but all that comes to mind are words already written by far better music writers then I. I’ve always found the didg a mysterious, yet soothing sound, and the way Xavier takes this traditional Australian instrument and melds it into modern melody’s is something special. I read that he doesn’t play the instrument in the traditional way, and has created his own individual style.

It was just a great night of music all around. The opening musician Wil, whom I have seen before, was wonderful, though I was a little disappointed he didn’t rock out as hard as I know he can. I think he only broke 3 or 4 strings all set. It was a surprise to run into so many people at the show. Quite the mix of university friends, as well as a few high school surprises. To cap off the night, the line to leave was crazy, so we just chilled and waited for it to thin out.