Joel Plaskett

The concert footage may be short but this is still a great gift for Joel Plaskett fans. Plaskett performs at Halifax's Marquee and Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, as well as Toronto's Hugh's Room. The Emergency shine before a packed, hometown audience, squeezing anthems like "Down at the Khyber" for all they're worth. Though his band rocks, Plaskett is mesmerising on his own, delivering a heart-wrenching take on "Before You Leave." He gets a welcome hand from Peter Elkas on a fun "When I Have My Vision," and his dad Bill on "Absentminded Melody." Plaskett's good taste makes for great music videos, all of which are featured here, including the ambitious "Maybe We Should Just Go Home." A new three-song CD is an added bonus, with Plaskett working out his Springsteen side on the rollicking "A Million Dollars" and "Nowhere With You." All of this, and a killer cover of "Extraordinary" by Lexi Ferguson, makes this a thoughtful, fun package. Plus: "Goodbye World" (MapleMusic)