EDMonton: A Rave in a Waterpark
I’m currently flying back to Vancouver from Edmonton. I played at Soundwave last night, which was a rave in a waterpark in the West Edmonton Mall. If you don’t know what that mall is, congratulations, you’re probably not Canadian. But in Canada, it’s always been a big thing, I mean… it’s a fucking mall with waterparks (and rollercoasters!) Wild. There’s a sense of nostalgia there, I remember visiting it when we drove to Alberta from BC, and as soon as that chlorine smell hits you, those trips come back in full force. Full circle moments like that in this career are always fun and sort of surreal for me.
The show was fantastic. I find the only thing that matters at shows is the energy of the crowd (as long as basic tech stuff is all working too, but that's for another time). It can be any city, any venue... as long as the crowd is having a good time, then I’m having a great time as well. And this was definitely the case last night. So thank you.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about the concept of momentum a lot. When you don’t have momentum, you take creative failures a lot more personally. I find that can be pretty demoralizing as an artist, sometimes even crippling (which is why it’s hard to find momentum when you don’t have it).
When you do have it however, it’s a treat, because when something doesn’t work, whether it’s a new song, a transition in a mix, or a new visual (another creative outlet for me rn), you just shrug it off and are excited for the next moment. Later that week you can review what missed and refine.
For context, last night I had 2 new Glass Petals songs to play, the new sunset mix of Love You More, and I had built new visuals for a large section of the show. Lots of things to be excited about, not just one thing to focus all my energy on. It’s taken me a minute to find my workflow, and I think i’ve realized that having a bunch of moving parts on the go is what works for me. Maybe it doesn’t work for everyone, but for me it does. The hardest part is finding momentum when you don’t have it… that I haven’t fully figured out. But I do know doing the work gets you on your way, just like everything else.
Okay we’re about to land… I love a 1 hour flight. Next weekend is DC and Ft Lauderdale. Enjoying the luxury of the 1hr travel day while it lasts. Off to the studio when I land.
Till next time.
-felix