Last night I had the great pleasure of dining with my close friend and roommate. We went to a quaint restaurant on the east side of town, Joy Bistro.
The one room restuarant is small, quiet, and perfect for sharing a bottle of wine and having friendly chatter. We enjoyed sitting on the corner both and taking it all in. Not extremely busy on a Wednesday night but with few other patrons eating, we had a chance to catch up.
She enjoyed the Steak Frites as I enjoyed the Braised Beef Cheeks. As the waitress described, they literally melt in your mouth.
Recommend.
I also had the awesome pleasure of seeing one of my favourite singer song writers Joshua Radin. Last night was the third time I have seen Josh and with each time I feel as though I am taking a step forward with him. The first time I was living in Los Angeles and had heard about him from a friend of mine. It was his first tour and the last show was in LA at the El Rey Theater. He was singing the heart out of his first album with Skylar Fisk (his then girlfriend).
The second time, I was now living in Toronto and shelped out on a somewhat snowy night to see him play accoustically at the El Macumbo. A more intimate gathering with no set list, just Josh and his guitar. He was mainly singing tunes off his second album about the break-up of his aforementioned girlfriend.
As he opens the show at The Opera House, he introduces himself with two ex-girlfriends and two albums. What I like most seeing about seeing Josh in concert is that he tells you the story. His songs are quiet and beautiful and once you hear the inspiration--sometimes what may be your favourite love song is about a stranger on a train--you get to better understand him as an artist and his point of view.
Far too many concerts I have seen, the band plays and it sounds good--but it also sounds like the album. I have already listened to the album which is why I came to the show. But Josh captures your attention with his stories and breaks the rules of his record label by playing some new songs. From what I heard, the third album will be another step forward with a mix between his thoughtful poetic songs and what he calls "whisper rock".
I'm sure I will see him again in concert...not sure which city though.
