"Using Middle America as her muse, Kowch draws the history of a particular place -- invariably rural -- to the surface as it collides with a new reality in layers of metaphor and moodiness. The faces of her women may remind you of characters in a Tim Burton film."
--Steve Parks, Newsday

Monday, August 31, 2009

"Tour of the Universe" 2009



The night of July 24, 2009, was indeed a night to remember at Toronto's Molson Amphitheatre as Depeche Mode kicked off the North American leg of their 2009 world tour, "Tour of the Universe." It's no lie when they say a DM concert is a spiritual experience. Absolutely incredible. I was so fortunate to have experienced it from the main floor, and, as expected, the show was lined with stunning visuals, incredible energy coming from 16,000 fellow DM devotees, and the Mode themselves as spectacular as ever. In a nutshell, it couldn't have been more perfect.

The day's drive to Toronto was beautiful, with the 401 winding through some of the most gorgeous fields and lush farmland. If I was not on a tight schedule, I would have definitely spent some time exploring the landscape. The weather was something to behold as well, everchanging throughout the day from crisp sunshine, to dark, rolling clouds, to violent rain, to sun again. Crows were abundant, flying every which way over and alongside the highway as I drove, only to show up again as part of DM's stage visuals later that night. I was floored. More sweet surprises showed up when the band switched up their scheduled setlist, performing songs that I really hoped to hear live. It took an hour and a half to move three miles in the concert traffic, and, after the show, the parking lots became an after-party, as the hundreds of us waiting for traffic to move out, mingled and blasted Depeche Mode favorites out of cars. What better way to top the night off? The universe was definitely smiling those 24 hours. "Sounds of the Universe" indeed.