This was the third time I'd seen Blondie. The first time was at the CNE in Toronto in 1982. Duran Duran opened. The show was taped for HBO and it is finally available on DVD as Blondie Live in Toronto.
The second time was in the summer of 2008 in Orillia, Ontario in support of the 25th anniversary of Parallel Lines (my favourite album of all time). I was amazed at how fresh the band sounded as they tore through Hanging On the Telephone, Picture This, Sunday Girl, et al. It was an amazing concert.
This year's show was just as terrific, and very, very intimate. Debbie Harry wore a version of the dress that her Barbie doll wears (Mattel is releasing a Debbie Harry Barbie doll this month), and at the beginning of this Halloween show she sported a black eye masque. She was funny, sexy, off centre, and I was reminded of just how diverse her voice really can sound... little girl sexy, jazzy, full throttle punk, radio friendly, bluesy, funky...
I love Blondie. Their music has always been a distraction from the crap of life and a guide to new things undiscovered... punk, rap, art, the underground, things just on the horizon. Sometimes the mix of styles and moods on a Blondie album is like listening to the greatest LP that K-Tel never got around to releasing. Great hooks, impressionist lyrics, all delivered by the most beautiful front woman in the business. To my way of thinking, they still haven't been given the due they deserve for opening doors and delivering the goods. God bless Blondie.
Here's some clips from the 31/10/09 show that someone captured most likely on their cell phone:
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