For the second-last show on her Canadian tour, Feist delivered an energetic and passionate performance at the National Arts Centre (NAC) Dec. 5.
Feist took to the stage after opening act Bry Webb. She bowed to the audience as they erupted into applause.
She quickly jumped into her first song of the night, “Undiscovered First,” from her new album Metals.
After her opening number, Feist took time to talk to the audience, expressing her acceptance of the mainstream success she’s received.
“For years, I’ve tried to fight the comfortable seats,” she said. “I’m not going to fight the NAC tonight.”
The NAC may have been fighting her though, as scattered microphone feedback issues plagued the body of her performance.
But this did nothing to quell the excitement of the audience.
They were too entranced by Feist’s soaring vocals and animated guitar playing to pay much attention to technical glitches.
Feist continued with a rich selection of songs from Metals, including “How Come You Never Go There,” “A Commotion,” and “Graveyard.”
Feist kept the audience engaged throughout her performance, alternating between upbeat rock numbers and subdued, slow songs. Frequently switching between acoustic and electric guitar, she treated the audience to her vocals and her skills as a musician.
During the middle of her performance, Feist ventured away from her new album to play fan favourites from her 2007 album, The Reminder.
“Everyone climb inside the time machine,” she said.
Feist got the audience involved by asking them to help her sing “So Sorry.”
Then she continued to power through familiar renditions of “My Moon My Man” and “I Feel It All,” for the first time bringing the crowd to their feet.
Feist carried the momentum even as she returned to her new material, delivering a rendition of “The Bad in Each Other,” featuring opener Bry Webb.
Feist’s quirkiness was constantly on display, as she happily hummed between songs, threw mock punches at the air around her, and made humorous replies to shouts from the audience.
“Can you leave a photo at the backstage door?” she joked after someone in the audience shouted, “I love you, Leslie!”
After playing “Comfort Me” and “Caught a Long Wind,” Feist left the stage to a roaring standing ovation. She wasn’t gone long, however, as she quickly skipped back into the spotlight.
“I love you guys,” she said.
After encore performances of “When I Was a Young Girl” and “Cicadas and Gulls,” Feist wished a happy birthday to her drummer Paul Taylor, leading the audience to spontaneously sing “Happy Birthday” for him.
Following a jazz-like rendition of “Sealion,” Feist asked the audience, “How about a slow dance?” The response was a resounding ‘Yes,’ and Feist launched into “Let It Die,” the title track from her 2004 debut album, Let It Die.
After returning to the stage for a third time, Feist wrapped up the show with her song, “Intuition.”
On Feist’s current tour, she’s performing with backing vocals from American folk-rock trio Mountain Man.
After wrapping up her Canadian tour, she’ll be performing in Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand, before touring Europe in March.
One of many Carleton faces in the crowd was journalism student Eric Balnar.
“I told my roommate before the show that this is the highest expectations I’ve ever had for a show,” Balnar said via email. “Not only did she exceed my expectations, she created a whole new league.”
