It speaks to the influence that an artist has on their fan base when they can consistently draw a crowd to their shows. May 20th marked the third time in a year that Dallas Green has brought City and Colour to Calgary, and once again the show sold out almost instantly.
I have an admitted bias towards Dallas, who is one of the most humble and endearing guys I have met in my life. Not just musicians. Period. That transmits to his fans and through his music in a way that is hard to describe to one who has never experienced it.
The show kicked off in the same way it did in Vancouver, with Harris Cehajic playing Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody as the crowd sang along. Dallas then hit the stage, kicking the show off with Forgive Me, Sam Malone and early sing-along Waiting.
The downside of a show like City and Colour is due to the intimacy of the venue and music; you always have those people who insist on yelling things out. Green has used his dry humor to combat it, such as when a girl screamed for him to take off his shirt, or that they loved him.
“What is this, a Jodeci concert? If I took of my shirt, I would feel really uncomfortable, and I am not sure how that would make you feel. I really think you should invest in a relationship before you say you love them. What if they don’t love you back? Or ‘I love you’ and they say ‘thanks.’”
What started off as slightly amusing soon became absurd, which Green pointed out when a man in the audience yelled “Dallas, you are my sexkitten.”
“I am not sure why you would think that would make me feel good. Or that I wouldn’t comment on how stupid it was.”
Nevertheless, the yelling couldn’t take away from the show. Green was backed up by bassist Scott Remila and drummer Dylan Green. But he took some time during the show to play solo, showing his skills as a singer, songwriter and guitarist. A show-stopping moment occurred at the beginning of the encore, when Dallas sang an a cappella cover of blues singer Son House’s Grinnin In Your Face.
While this will be the last City and Colour show in Calgary for awhile, Green will be back soon, in an entirely different form. Alexisonfire’s new album Old Crows/Young Cardinals comes out this summer and the band will be in town for the Vans Warped Tour August 12th.
Dallas Green, www.cityandcolour.ca
