I can't help but feel for Nelly Furtado. Her first tour of Canada in 5 years saw discounted tickets on groupon, shows cancelled in Winnipeg, Ottawa and Hamilton, and her scheduled Vancouver show was moved to a small venue with a handful of people – a show that was savaged by reviewers. It is hard to say what is at the heart of the issues with this tour. Whether it was the 5 year absence after the success of 2007's Loose or the top price of $96 per ticket, The Spirit Indestructible Tour has been challenged from the start.

That is a shame, as Furtado deserves better. She contributes a great deal to humanatarian causes – the lobby featured information on the Free The Children Foundation to build a school in Kenya and sales from a tank top went to the charity – and she started her own label to help up and coming artists like opener Dylan Murray. As for the Vancouver reviews, I don't know if it was a different Furtado that night, but the Nelly that appeared on stage January 12^th at the Jubilee Auditorium was an energetic and enjoyable evening filled with a long list of hits from her catalogue.

Arriving on stage in a glittery top, Furtado showed off the voice that caught the public's attention over a decade ago with the title track from the current album The Spirit Indestructible. Not known for her stage banter, which mostly consisted of "Hey Calgary! Thanks for coming! I love you guys," she let the music do the talking. And speak it did from an emotionally charged Try to 2001's I'm Like A Bird – both early in the set – it showed that Furtado deserves to still be considered one of Canada's finest.

There were a few moments that were a little odd. The Grim Reaper appeared with a neon green lei and a bucket list from the audience that Furtado read, before singing Bucket List. Reaper appeared later in the show performing Timbaland's part in the renamed Mysterious Girl. Overall Furtado was energetic and clearly having fun, throwing in covers of Missy Elliot's Get Your Freak On and Madonna's Like A Prayer amidst her own catalogue. Songs like Forca, played by Furtado on a ukelele, had the crowd singing along while Parking Lot and Big Hoops had them up and dancing in the seats. The set ending Maneater wrapped things up on a high energy note that left the audience of all ages happy to have seen Nelly Furtado on stage again.

In our interview in the January edition, Furtado talked about considering retirement recently to focus on the world of music behind the scenes. While that would be a tremendous opportunity for other artists, it would be our loss in no longer seeing her perform. If this is the last time Nelly Furtado appears on stage in Calgary, it was done so in a way that suits her. Great music, great energy, and a great time for those who attended.