Photo: Chris MacDonald
As darkness drops upon us, crisp and clear come the words “Back to life, back to reality”, met with elated smiles and chuckles. There’s nothing like a bit of Soul II Soul to get you in the mood for a Friday night - as City & Colour obviously know too well.
Silhouetted by a sea of swirling, spinning beams and twinkling lights emulating the night sky, the stage and surround are alive with technicolour - elevating every guitar strum and crackle of a drum.
Not a man for unnecessary conversation, Green breaks lyrical constraints only a handful of times to utter a sincere “Thank you”. When ‘Hello, I’m in Delaware’ from the Juno Award winning album, Sometimes, it is us who are thanking him for bringing a much loved classic to our ears.
We are treated to a story around an hour in, “I was just thinking about the time I played the Barfly in Camden”, Green says. At the mention of Camden, the room creates a collective ‘Wha-hey!’, but Green quickly continues. “No, no. There were only like six people there, I had lost my voice. I was just thinking about how crazy it is that that was about 11 years ago. Thank you so much for sticking with me.” We think we speak for everyone when we say, ‘It’s our pleasure, and you’re welcome’.
Seeing the evening out with 2008 Bring Me Your Love classics ‘The Girl’ and ‘As Much as I Ever Could’, the true beauty of the unmistakable Dallas Green is revealed during these acoustic treats. Sadly, Sometimes classic ‘Comin’ Home’ didn’t feature at all during the evening, but it is an 11 year-old song. With faultless charm, Green evokes a lifetime of emotion with just a few lyrics and wistful arpeggios.
City & Colour played:
Thirst
Northern Blues
Two Coins
If I Should Go Before You
Killing Time
Hello, I'm in Delaware
Wasted Love
Weightless
Lover Come Back
Waiting...
Friends
Sleeping
Woman
Encore:
Body in a Box
The Girl
The Grand Optimist
As Much as I Ever Could
