Epica / Stream of Passion - Live in Paris
December 2012
As Max reaches the end of his semester in Paris, we thought that it would be fun to do one more joint review, this time for Epica and Stream of Passion live at the in Paris. We both thought this was probably the best concert we’ve seen in Paris, which is saying a lot!
Within Temptation’s 15th Anniversary Elements Concert
Antwerp November 13, 2012
Within Temptation's Elements concert was beyond awesome. Afterwards, I was nearly voiceless and almost speechless, but it was the perfect anniversary show, capturing fifteen years of magic and the best of old and new. Sharon den Adel's voice was flawless; the band was on fire; and the orchestra was majestic. WT also played my favorite songs, including "Candles" from the first album, and had perfect sound, the best fire and light show I've ever seen, and the most pumped up crowd (of maybe 21,000 from over 50 countries) I've ever been in. After standing and waiting for over seven hours and having nothing to eat or drink from noon to midnight, I managed to get a perfect spot near the stage, and it was worth every minute of waiting. When the show ended, I wished I could immediately go back to the beginning.
Read more: Within Temptation Elements Concert 2012Anneke van Giersbergen - An Acoustic Night in Paris
Live at La Scène Bastille, December 2012
Words cannot describe the excitement I felt when Anneke van Giersbergen announced a special acoustic show in Paris during my last week of my semester there. What a way to end my trip! To add to my excitement, a local band by the name of Arkan was scheduled to open up the show with an acoustic set of their own. It was a band I had just gotten into and was (originally) quite sad that I wouldn’t get to see live during my stay, but as luck would have it, all my dreams came true!
Ever known a band whose fan base is much smaller than you think a group with their level of talent deserves? As a fan of a rather niche genre of music, you probably have. Well, my co-writer John Thornburgh and I are definitely in agreement: the French four-piece Markize is one of those bands. Though they made a bit of a buzz with their 2007 debut Transparence, the band has fallen a bit off the grid in the last few years. Now the band is back with their sophomore full-length A Perfect Lie, whose release they celebrated with a show at a small Paris venue by the name of Le Zebre.
