In Continuum.

Anyway, sidetracking a little bit, the thing that I love about Mosaic Music Festival is that it is indeed a festival, and the name does not overstate what it is. You get bands playing stuff at the concourse for free after 5:30PM, and they just play back to back to back for the public, which is really awesome. That is not to mention the awesome cushions they scattered right in front of the stage, and it was really comfortable to just snuggle up there with the significant other. The atmosphere was great despite the fact that it was completely opened to the public, and the music was pretty awesome too. Kudos for Esplanade to organizing those free gigs in the public, and also the setup was great. Neptina and I were there first, and Vanessa met us a couple of minutes later. It was our first time meeting Vanessa, though I have known her for a couple of years already. We got to know each other through a local online forum which I used to go to all the time, and we talked because of similar interests in music. Clarence, a friend of hers, was supposed to make it for the concert instead of Neptina. But he had some business to attend to that night, which was why the ticket went on to Neptina, who got it for free. 

Anyway, we frantically made our way upstairs to the Theater Studios, remembering that it was a free standing concert and people might have already been queueing up there. We were there about about five to seven, and there was no one in line save for us - first! That also meant that we got into the venue first, and we situated ourselves right smack in the middle of the front row, right in front of where the lead singer would be. The security guard talked to us a little bit about the band and how we shouldn't put our bags or whatever on the stage. I wondered why they all had to wear black, and how it'd be pretty awesome if they were to wear all pink or something for a change. Anyway, we started becoming really excited at checking out the empty stage, because there were set lists on the floor, a bunch of toys (yeah, toys) scattered everywhere, and there was a minor camera issue that was resolved once the concert started. Anyway, so the people gathered in the venue, the lights were dimmed, and the band members stepped out from the backstage. A round of applause rang through the venue, people cheered and screamed, and I was already over my head with excitement. Here we go, I thought. All over again. 

Psapp is all about quirky music with funky instruments. On top of your usual electric guitar, drums, keyboards, synthesizers, you have a bunch of other quirky instruments that make funny noises. The band utilized everything from violins, to kazoos, to toy guitars, to a rubber chicken, to a rubber fish, to glass bottles, to toys with bells, to just about anything that makes some kinda weird and funny noise. Whatever that you get in the album is what you will get live on stage, and the band does not rely anything on backing tracks - a plus, in my books. It was like listening to the albums, only better. You know how it is with so many bands out there, you can't help but sometimes feel disappointed when their live renditions of their own songs sound subpar, like The Ting Tings. I haven't really experienced that just yet, but you really only need to search for some of The Ting Tings' live videos to realize how bad Katie White's voice is live. But Psapp is not the kind of band that sells digitally enhanced versions of their music. They replicate everything on stage, from the small quirky animal sounds to the toys - everything. You almost start to wonder if they'd ever get confused between which toy to use, and when they should use it. 

I wonder how many people were there at the concert because they love the theme song to Grey's Anatomy. Well, they didn't actually play Cosy in the Rocket, but it wasn't what I went for anyway. I'm glad the set started off with Mr. Ant, because it is one of those high energy songs that really gets you on your feet dancing. I was nervous at first about Neptina, tagging along with me despite not knowing any of the songs. I mean, who wouldn't tag along to a concert if it is for free anyway. But she really started to dig the music as the set went from one song to another, and I am so glad that she enjoyed herself at the end of the day. Anyway, I won't go through each and every single song, but let's just say that it was a very solid set list, with songs from every album and a cover song right at the end of things. I was quite disappointed initially when one of the instruments, or toys, malfunctioned. It was a chicken that they got from Germany, and Gailia couldn't get it to start playing before the song started. Funny how it decided to stop functioning right at the last gig that of their entire tour - such luck. So they skipped Tricycle altogether, and we went on straight to Parker towards the end. Yet, the encore was where the fun really was. 

Audience interaction is always the best part about any concert, or at least the second best right behind the awesome music. I usually expect bands to not have those, like the way Death Cab for Cutie just went from one song to another with just generic words being said and the normal greetings. One of the main reasons why Broken Social Scene was (and still is) the best concert that I have ever been to is because of how much audience interaction they had. I suppose the amount of that decreases with more fame, and that is another reason why non-mainstream bands are so awesome. They are just normal people with an album or two out there, and they don't hold back when interacting with the audience. We were at the very first row, which placed us at the optimal position for interaction. Not only did Neptina and Vanessa score free toys from Gailia, she also replied to a bunch of Neptina's comments. Like, when she fished out two soft toy cats from her bag, Neptina commented that they were really cute. Gailia then went "Yeah, they're cute!" Then there was that other time when I had the toy (which was really a plastic set of lips that made funny noises if you bit down on it and blew air out of your mouth) in between my lips and kissed Neptina, which Gailia noticed. Aside from how a bunch of audiences were being asked to participate on stage for songs, Neptina and I were also asked onto the stage, along with a bunch of other people, to dance for the very last song. Yeah, I WAS ON THE STAGE DANCING WITH THE BAND. Fuck yeah! 

The sad part is that because I was busy dancing around on stage, we couldn't really take pictures of ourselves on stage. I am hoping that some kind soul out there would upload those pictures of the last song with us dancing on their blogs, or kindly send them to my email or something. I'd really like to see pictures of me dancing hysterically on stage like a mad man, because I was that high at that point. It was a whole lot of fun just letting my hair down and dancing like crazy on stage, with Gailia just right in front of me and the Carim playing the guitar just a foot or two away. I swear, on a personal level, that was probably the best experience I have ever had at a concert. Suddenly, the autograph session after the concert meant so much less, because dancing on stage with the band was just mind-blowing. Everything was caught on a camera mounted behind the crowd and later projected onto the two screens on each side of the stage. I wonder if that video would also be used as news footage for the evening news. If that is the case, I am pretty sure I'd end up on television again, and that'd make the third time in two weeks, with Don't Forget the Lyrics being the other one. 

Strangely, with Neptina, everything is different somehow. We were first in line to get into the venue, and first in line during the autograph session. I was a little nervous that I'd be denied my rightful autograph because I didn't bring the CDs. But they were nice enough to sign our tickets and my notebook anyway, which was so damn awesome. Gailia drew a cartoon cat next to her autograph while Carim drew a cockroach, or an ant - I'm not sure which it is. We also took pictures with them, though those pictures are in Vanessa's phone at this point. Anyway, it was a fun and wild night with awesome music, and everything just worked out perfect. I am sorry for holding up the line for a little longer than I should have, but they were kind enough anyway. So, once again, great job Esplanade! And PSAPP IS SO AWESOME HOLY SHIT. 

Setlist:

1) Mr. Ant

2) Needle and Thread

3) The Monster Song

4) Curuncula

5) The Words

6) About Fun

7) Part Like Waves

8) Leaving in Coffins

9) Hi

10) King Kong

11) I Want That

12) Tricycle 

13) Parker

Encore:

14) Rear Moth

15) Everybody Wants To Be a Cat