Hallowe'en Cabaret

When news arrived on campus that the Watchmen were going to play the Hallowe'en Cabaret, words could not describe the feeling that overcame me! I finally would have the chance to see a band that I had grown to respect due to their catchy songs in which the lyrics actually had some meaning.

At this time, The Watchmen had not yet released Brand New Day, so most of their set was composed of their first two releases, McLaren Furnace Room( which happens to be my favourite of their albums) and In the Trees. My friends and I bought our tickets as soon as we could and waited anxiously for October 31st to arrive.

The long awaited day finally arrived and we made our way to the Jubilee Building, a large exhibition stadium that hosts a wide variety of events. The turnout was great! The building was swimming with thousands of drunken university students that made the event that much more enjoyable.

For the first part of the cabaret most people spent the time drinking and mingling. Then, at around 10:30 pm, the opener, Sandbox, made their way onto the stage. At this point in time I was not familiar with the music of Sandbox so I did not pay too much attention to them (which I should of because I have grown to love their music). They did put on a good show however, despite the small number of people on the floor.

Following their set, a half hour passed and tension was rising. The pit had grown to an enormous size and anticipation for the Watchmen was now at a maximum. At around midnight, the lights started to dim and the moment arrived. Danny Greaves his men onto the stage and into the cheers of their loyal fans.

Greaves and the Watchmen put on an amazing show, keeping the crowd bouncing and surfing. At times the pit got quite intense leaving people exhausted and bruised. Some even lost parts of their wardrobe. One of my buddies lost his shoe during the second song of the set and did not recover it until the end of the show. This however did not keep him out of the pit! You should have seen his sock and foot following the concert, it was quite a mess!

Since the concert was some time ago I can not remember their playlist, but I do know they covered a large amount of songs from both of their albums as well as Incarnate from Brand New Day. The concert just followed the Quebec Referendum (which was voted "NO") and Danny Greaves showed the crowd his sense of national pride by singing "O Canada". It was great! The night proved to be one of the best concerts I had attended and still ranks up there today.

If you have never seen the Watchmen in concert, be sure to check them out because it will surely be an experience you will not forget!

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