Natalie Merchant...what a Wonder!
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Toronto Concert Review
by Fred


Natalie played a great concert at the Hummingbird Centre in Toronto. She has a great band playing with her. There were many memorable moments. I'll try to list all of them.

During a break between songs, somebody in the audience yelled "Happy Birthday!". She answered "It isn't my birthday?!?...whose birthday is it today?" About 5 people yelled out. She then started to play a song on the piano that was very slow and sad (can't remember the song).

Then she sang:
Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to You
Your one step closer to your grave

She sang some other lyrics but I couldn't understand them. Everyone was laughing so hard.

Later in the show, she mentioned she was made an honourary citizen of Canada. "If I were Canadian, I think I would be a Newfie" (person from Newfoundland). "Although I don't think I'd like hockey".

Someone yelled out "Howard Stern". She looked puzzled and said "Power Surge...what?". Someone in the front row told her what he really said and she said "Oh no, we don't get him up here in Canada". Actually we do get him in Toronto.

She mentioned that there are these huge billboards of Marilyn Manson in L.A. and N.Y.C. "He has these prosthetic breasts and he is so huge....prosthetic boobs...it's really scary" She then ran behind a speaker with only her eyes pearing over the speaker. It was really cute.

The last song of the set was "Kind and Generous". People started to dance in the aisles, then people from the back started to move toward the front. By the end of the song, the first 10 aisles were filled with people. They stayed there until the show was over.

The first song she played for the encore was "Wonderwall" by Oasis. It was a really good cover! After the song, she explained why she learned the song. "Tomorrow, we'll be flying to England. I don't have any hits over there so I thought I learn to play one of their hits so they'll like me."

She didn't play a lot from "Tigerlily". She played Carnival and Wonder, from what I remember. The rest of the songs were either from "Ophelia" or from the 10 000 Maniacs or covers.

I had a really great time and I'd definitely see her again.