Jamie Lidell
With the stage set for a remarkable spectacle it seemed that the visually stimulating light show was going to be the thing to comment on, but in fact it was the man himself that provided the entertainment. Yes, there was a white backdrop and host of lights beaming all around, including a 21st century visualizer that created funky effects throughout the room, all of which just helped to illuminate the one-man show that is Jamie Lidell. Emerging in the darkness, in a trenchcoat of sorts, he waved and glad-handed those in the first row before climbing behind an angular, shiny, metallic booth that served to reflect the lights right back at us. It also served as the place where he made his music come true.
Opening with this year's eponymous opener, I'm Selfish, Jamie proved to be anything but, as he poured himself into this solo performance. His voice has an incredible range and after this much time in the game he sure knows how to pump the most out of it. Not only that but his musical intelligence is top-notch as displayed via sampling and remixing A Little Bit More. He alternated between creating the songs through looping and effects, and just letting the track play and coming out front to showcase that funky, soul voice, including a showcase of a song written with a couple Canadians, Chilly Gonzales and Mocky. Personal highlight of the night was the awesome and danceable What a Shame that hit on all levels, especially with the on-the-fly production. He jokingly referred to a Compass (2010) track (I Wanna Be Your Telephone) as a classic but also played some throwbacks to 2005's Multiply in When I Come Back Around and Multiply. He credited that last song with playing a huge part in his success, and it did stand out as the first encore song, as he held the mic out to people in the crowd to sing along - a very unfortunate exercise compared to his accomplished voice. The finale was a new tune in Big Love which at first felt like it might not be the best choice but by the end he had the whole crowd in the call and response shouting "Big Love" and deserved big love right back at him.
Ludwig Persik
Leather jacket, black skinny jeans, Cons. Without much fanfare Ludwig Persik began his set with the tap of a toe to start his prerecorded track (apparently recorded with Mr. Lidell at his Nashville studio) while in his mitts was an electric guitar. He fiddled about with this while singing and grooving along. There was little fanfare following the first track also, as there really wasn't a whole lot there to get excited about. His dweeb persona and ineffectual voice didn't totally help the cause. Actually one of the few things that did were the appearance of a slender lady who came to shimmy alongside Ludwig on stage. It was an awkward show of support, especially as the song soon ended and was followed by a 'sad song' during which she slipped away. As Lee's Palace filled in, the applause did increase in conjunction, and surprisingly it wasn't overly chatty throughout as Toronto can be, but there weren't a whole lot of lasting memories made either.
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