Ivana Santilli in Concert @ The Revival 3/5

I've been following Ivana Santilli since her Bass is Base days, and have been a great fan for more than 10 years (eeek, its already been that long?) As she ventured into solo territory (her first album Brown is still on my playlist), I made the treks to cozy bars and clubs to support her, along with a legion of friends who share the same passion for her music. With Canadian Music Week graced upon Toronto in early March, Ivana was a headliner for a showcase at The Revival. Of course, I jumped at the chance to see her, so off I went to Little Italy to party it up last Friday, March 13th.

She was scheduled to hit the stage at midnight, but as per the time continuum for concerts, they never happen on time. Around 12:30am Ivana and her band hit the stage, and the crowd started to come alive, as did I. My fellow group of Ivana fans and I bounced along to the music, with some of us excited enough to sing along with her. As we were in the front row, I'm sure she heard our squawking. It was mix of songs from the past albums Brown and Cordoroy Boogie, but with the most part focusing on her latest offering, Tony, release in 2008. She debuted her new song, "Your Girl Tonight" - it was a bit too breathy voiced and dance music-like for my usual liking, but hopefully with a few more spins, it will catch on.

Alas, this concert did not have the same magic which I am used to with her previous ones. Perhaps it can be attributed to my tiredness (staying up late and me don't mix too well anymore) and Ivana and her band's lack of rehearsals (she did admit to only rehearsing twice during the week). It was not her best performance, but still an enjoyable night. I will still look forward to catching her play live, as she does have charisma to charm the crowd and bring energy into a room.