A spectacular evening is something to remember for Rufus Wainwright at the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts. At the first song cycle, we were not supposed to applaud due to the fact that he is paying tribute to his late mother, Canadian folk legend Kate McGarrigle. On his anticipated album All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu dedicated to his singer-songwriter sister, Martha, the songs he performed including the three Shakespearean sonnets were haunting, depressing, and gloomy as if he has already gone to a funeral. As he appeared on the stage wearing a Halloween-like wedding dress which extends to 17 feet on the ground along with a feathery neckline, he delivers this powerful, majestic performance in a way that expresses his emotional outlook on love and death. During the first set in between the songs, there were blinking eyes in the background that were sort of spooky, but artistically done by visual designer Douglas Gordon. The moment he walked off the stage right after the first set, there was a thunderous applause from the audience and I got the chills from that performance.
The second set has given us the energy when Rufus entered the stage with tealight candles everywhere wearing a brown velvet blazer, a red tie, green pants and white shoes just as he sat at the piano to belt out our old favorites from his previous albums such as Beauty Mark, Grey Gardens, Hallelujah alongside Teddy Thompson (who happen to appear performing on stage before Rufus), Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk, and many others. I was completely floored by most of his material that he has nailed down quite well.
There were some funny and exciting moments between the second song cycle at some other point; the part where he picks at his nose hairs which was one of his pet peeves and I find that hysterical. (I thought that he is just full of wit).
What really makes me feel overjoyed was when he announced his engagement to his boyfriend of five years, Jorn Weisbrodt. "We were thinking of having our wedding in either Germany or Canada," Wainwright smiles. I remember coming home the night after the concert posting Facebook statuses on my page and Twitter updates to make a newsflash to users.
Overall, I think that the concert Wainwright has put on for the evening would have to be one of the highlights of the year. My mother and I were lucky enough to purchase our own tickets in order to get front row seats by the orchestra and I never knew what to expect from us. I will never forget the moments I've spend all my life going to concerts just by supporting one of my favorite artists.
