Okay, not last night, but a few nights ago. Anyways….

Owen Pallett works really hard.

As Final Fantasy the boy is playing the violin, singing, working his footpedal midi recorders and playing the piano. All at the same time. It’s no wonder he was working up a sweat, and giggling nervously at any minor, very minor, mistake.

The audience didn’t sweat it, they were paying close attention to every word sung, uttered and shouted out by Mr. Pallett. They ooo-ed and aw-ed at the beautiful papercuts being projected above him for most of the show. They swayed and nodded their collective heads as Owen began laying down the base of each song and building them up until they were showing their recognizable forms. Then the audience gladly sang along, and showed their gratitude at the end by demanding an encore from the seemingly frazzled performer.

Appaerntly Owen has just recently (very recently!) added the piano into his gigs, and trying to juggle all these balls onstage is a bit tricky. But honestly - I couldn’t even tell he was having a problem. I was so wrapped up in what he was singing whether they were songs from his first album, Has A Good Home, or his recent album, He Poos Clouds. He played older favorites like The CN Tower Belongs To The Dead, This Is The Dream Of Win & Reg and my favorite It Took You Two Years To Win My Heart (“and two words to brreaaaaaaaak it.”). When he moved on to the newer material, which I admit I’m less familiar with, he was just as captivating. I do remember the songs This Lamb Sells Condos, He Poos Clouds and the starteling Many Lives For 49 MP with it’s shouted refrain “Son, you should invest!”

There was also a great cover version, that Kurt B. Reighley and I talked about after the show, that was about British royalty.

I dunno. After the show Owen seemed a bit down about it, but frankly, I was quite pleased. The show was incredible, just for seeing a musician working so hard, doing so much more than most musicians will do for an audience these days.

Owen Pallett works really hard. And thank god he does. It shows.