There has been a lot of change in recent years in the life and career of Dallas Green, the man behind City and Colour. Prior to his 2013 release The Hurry & The Harm he changed his band, he recorded an album with Pink (as you+me), and spends part of his time in Nashville, where his current record If I Should Go Before You was recorded and for the first time included band members in the creative process. It has been quite a journey to be part of as a City and Colour fan who have followed the band for the past 11 years. Starting as a side project to Alexisonfire to its current incarnation which includes becoming an arena headliner, Greens fans are loyal and were ready to enjoy the music. Even with the huge change, leaving the comfortable confines of theatres like the Jack Singer to the cavernous of the Saddledome is an adjustment for both artist and fans. Despite the loss of intimacy, Green and his band - Guitarist Dante Schwebel, drummer Doug MacGregor, bassist Jack Lawrence, and multi-instrumentalist Matt Kell, still at times made the show feel like a small venue, kicking off with Woman and Northern Blues off the current album. It set the tone for the evening, which focused on a mix of new songs and familiar songs from previous albums.
The usually talkative and amiable Green, whose sense of humour and storytelling between songs has previously been a staple of shows seemed to focus solely on the music. Other than a few words of thanks he said little. At one point as the lights shone on the enthusiastically cheering audience he said "I am trying to think of something to say, but I think he just said it."
Instead it was song after song, and soon the audience was singing along to Hello I’m Delaware and We Found Each Other In The Dark. Greens voice never fails to leave one in awe. When Green returned to the stage with just his guitar, playing The Tragically Hip’s Bobcaygeon in tribute to Gord Downie, and a stunning version of Coming Home with a bit of AlexisonFire’s This Could Be Anywhere In The World it was a reminder of just how versatile, and great, Dallas Green is. As excellent as the band is, at its core City and Colour started as a guy and his guitar, and those moments where Green returns to that are magic. City and Colour solo has been added to the June 29th Fire Aid fundraiser concert in Edmonton, and undoubtedly will somehow manage to make a massive stadium somehow feel like a living room. The band returned partway through The Girl before Sometimes (I Wish) wrapped up the night.
Dallas Green has consistently proven that lyrically & emotionally he can capture his audience whether it is 2000 in a theatre or 12,000 at an outdoor festival. Although there is an intangible something that has changed in the current larger scale, something missing but not necessarily missed, City and Colour proved that they deserve to be at this level. The journey continues.
