Swedish pop musician Robyn hit Toronto last week for her first performance in our fair city in 10 years, in support of her 2005 release Robyn, which was just issued in North America at the end of this past April. From the second she walked on stage, she had the crowd (at the front, at least) in hysterics, with constant shouts of "I love you!" and "OMG! OMG! I'm so close!!"--most of which came from the gentlemen in the crowd.

To be perfectly honest, I knew very little of Robyn, give or take a few songs, but heard she put on a fantastic show and was not to be missed. As she launched into "Cobrastyle" you could feel her intense energy, which, aside from a few slower moments in the middle, carried through her entire set. I could see immediately why she was so adored, with her endearing smile and fun dance moves.

On a photography note, this was a tough one. Robyn didn't seem to be a fan of light at all. Quite opposite to what is usually the case, she was very dimly lit while her band mates were lit up like Christmas trees. I shot 1/60th of a second the entire time and was lucky to come out with anything usable, given how much she moves around.

More Robyn photos here.

After seeing coverage of Tegan & Sara at Coachella over the past week, it reminded me that I have photos of them from last year's Rogers Picnic that have never been posted. It's likely because the photos are all sort of "same-ish"...they weren't all that active on stage, and it doesn't help that they're twins. From what I recall, they played a pretty good set and had a ton of fans in the crowd (more than the other bands, it seemed), who were very easy to spot, since they all dress and cut their hair like the twins.

Tegan & Sara gallery here.

Without a doubt, one of my favourite bands to see and shoot over the past few years has been Gogol Bordello. The first time I ever caught them was a bit of an accident a few years back when I was having drinks upstairs at The Drake. I knew very little about the band, who were playing downstairs, but on my way back from the washroom, I popped my head in the door to check out the show, only to find Eugene Hutz atop his drum in the middle of the crowd. I then quickly ran upstairs to grab my friend and we crashed the show for the last few songs. It only took those few songs, but I was hooked.

Over the past year, I have seen and shot Gogol three times, and they've never disappointed. The show doesn't change all that much, but somehow you don't really care in the midst of all that energy. They seem to be playing the festival circuit all summer, so I don't doubt that I'll end up seeing them a few more times, which will end up being close to the record for seeing a band the most times in one year (U2 has it so far at 6).

Gogol Bordello gallery here.

For ages, I'd been trying to get out to a Fucked Up show at some little hole in the wall place, because I'd heard how insane their show was. Unfortunately, other shows always coincided and Wakestock was my first opportunity to check them out. Too bad they're not really the kind of band you want to see in the middle of the day on a big stage with very few people in the crowd, rather they're better suited for late night in-yer-face action, so I was feeling kind of robbed. That said, they were still quite entertaining and fun to watch, and singer Damian Abraham in particular didn't disappoint, crushing full pop cans into his skull or pouring the pop down his pants.

As much fun as that was, I hope to be able to make it out to a smaller show soon. They're playing Wrongbar in Toronto on May 13th, which is the same night as Feist, so hopefully they play late enough that I can work it out.

Fucked Up gallery here.

When I found out that Ben Harper was coming to town for two shows at Massey Hall, I was pretty excited--that is, until I found out I'd already committed to other shows those evenings. Luckily, he was also making a stop at MTV for an interview and to perform a few songs off his new album, Lifeline. You can watch the interview here, but for some reason the live performance isn't available.

I was initially turned on to Ben back in university, when, after a night of debauchery, a friend was hanging out at my place and started to sing "Burn One Down." I remember being immediately taken by it and asked him who sang it. The next day I hit the record store to check the song out and ended up buying Harper's first two albums, and have loved him since. I was a little disappointed that he didn't play "Burn One Down" at MTV, but can't complain too much, since I'd heard it live at Bonnaroo just a few months earlier (pics from that show will come eventually).

Ben Harper gallery here.