City and Colour delivers great performance

TicketMOMster review: Dallas Green City and Colour @ MTS Centre, June 14

I think this was my favourite show this year.

I participated in the Walk For Alzheimer’s at The Forks on Tuesday. As soon as the walk was over, I wolfed down my free cookie and drove straight to MTS Centre for this show.

I was 10 minutes late and didn’t have time to change out of my walk shirt. I found my seat and the opening act, Shakey Graves, was already on stage by himself, playing a guitar.

I was instantly struck by his voice and how much I liked it. I wondered how much guts it took to stand on a stage by yourself in front of tens of thousands of people and sing your heart out.

A little later he brought up his band and introduced them immediately; loved that. They weren’t the tightest band I’d ever heard, but everyone seemed to be having a great time.

Maybe it’s not guts that are required to get up there, maybe it’s a willingness to throw caution to the wind and just have a great time. Shakey appeared to be very good at that, and the crowd loved him for it. He was really funny and I enjoyed his Bruce Springsteen imitation; spot on.

His music felt like a trailer in the desert with chili pepper lights strung around it. Not like Waylon Jennings country/western, but like a few dusty 20-something year old guys with guitars living in a trailer in the middle of the desert and hey, look at that tumbleweed roll by; like that. It was cool. I liked it.

Everything about City and Colour’s show at MTS Centre was impressive; from the music, to the lighting, to the song selection. /ANNE MARTIN

Who does City and Colour’s lighting? Because it was phenomenal. Three rows of lights hung over the stage and flashed, blinked, turned, rose and fell right on cue to enhance each song. It was all so effective and visually pleasing. Great job. Really stellar. Best lighting I’ve seen this year, hands down.

After about a half-dozen songs, Dallas Green addressed the audience. He thanked us for coming out and dedicated Hello, I’m in Delaware to everyone who had been with him since the beginning. That didn’t apply to me, but I enjoyed the song immensely. The lighters came out and people held each other; it was really beautiful.

Then he encouraged everyone to get up and “stretch your hips” to Wasted Love. After that song was Lover Come Back which I loved. His voice was just so beautiful.

I tend to gravitate towards men’s voices that are baritone in nature. It was only after watching Green’s Lover Come Back video that I really paid attention to his voice and the angelic tone to it. It has such a sweet quality to it and yet it’s masculine and strong at the same time.

He introduced his band (who were great), we all sang Happy Birthday to Kenny Bridges, and then it was right into We Found Each Other In The Dark.

Everyone stood again for Sleeping Sickness and then As Much As I Ever Could closed the set. I think this was my favourite song of the evening. I was completely swept away by the lights and the song. It was haunting and bluesy and totally emotional.

Green came out by himself for the four-song encore which included The Girl, Fragile Bird and a cover of The Tragically Hip’s Bobcaygeon. That’s the first time I’d heard a Hip song since “the announcement”. (I really don’t know how I’m going to get through that concert). I almost cried during this cover, never mind the real thing…the couple next to me embraced and slowly rocked back and forth.

Sorrowing Man was a great way to end the show, as Green yelled out, “You have lost your way” and I was totally captivated as the goose bumps multiplied all over my arms.

I loved this show. I’d see City and Colour again in a heart beat.

P.S. Congratulations to @mattwiep on your 250th concert. Impressive! I hope you enjoyed it.

TicketMOMster is a Rock and Jazz-loving Mom; single-handedly keeping Ticketmaster alive in Winnipeg. Follow her musical journey here: www.facebook.com/TicketMOMsters