CMW Critical Conclusions for…STACEY (Canadian Music Week 2014 concert review)

The final night of Canadian Music Week, and PeteHatesMusic ended up at The Gladstone. The first act we saw was the very act we told you to check out – STACEY.

STACEY at The Gladstone Hotel – CMW 2014 (Copyright: PeteHatesMusic / Martin Bazyl Photography)

Venue: The Gladstone Hotel

First Impressions: I’ve never seen anyone play piano with legs crossed.

Stage Presence: Hard to do much when it’s just you and a piano, but roses and a cloth cover were nicely decorated. Vocals were pristine.

STACEY at The Gladstone Hotel – CMW 2014 (Copyright: PeteHatesMusic / Martin Bazyl Photography)

Crowd Reaction: No one clapped after opener Sleep Alone because she segued into the second song as she introduced it, which was too bad. The crowd showed their appreciation for the other tracks.

Random Observation: Shooting photos in a quiet room gets you a few glares, as PHM photog Martin found out. Also, her merch seemed cool – I hope people bought it.

Banter: “This is my first time out if the house in 5 days as I have bronchitis.” Holy fuck!! That fact made the performance even more impressive.

The Last Word: 8.5/10 – STACEY manages to make songs with just her and a piano unique and interesting. Part of it is excellent vocals, part of it is heartbreaking lyrics. She played a new track, Morning (or Mourning – damn homonyms), which sounded excellent, and If You Want me, which is not about her mom, as some smart ass quipped. A cover of Satisfaction was interesting, too. A very great set, and someone you should definitely check out.

For more photos of the show, and of the entire night at the Gladstone, check out our Facebook album of Day 5.

STACEY at The Gladstone Hotel – CMW 2014 (Copyright: PeteHatesMusic / Martin Bazyl Photography)

For spotty coverage of Canadian Music Week and other general awesomeness a) “follow PeteHatesMusic on Twitter” and b) “Like PeteHatesMusic on Facebook“, and you too can pretend you’re at Canadian Music Week.