City and Colour stopped by Ottawa for a night of great music and good vibes. One of the awesome things associated with this tour is the fact that City and Colour has partnered with PLUS1. This meant that $1 from every ticket sold will go to Indspire which helps indigenous students as well as MusiCounts. MusiCounts puts instruments into kids hands who need them the most.
Ben Rogers
Opening up the show for City and Colour last night is BC based Ben Rogers. Ben Rogers is fresh off the release of his latest album Wildfire. This was produced by first time producer and long-time friend Dallas Green.
Rogers boasts a mesmerizing sound. It wouldn’t be out of place in a hazy Nashville bar, injected with raw, old-school rock vibes akin to Otis Redding or Lynyrd Skynyrd. From his first song “Steady Going Nowhere”, a fun bluegrass crowd hype song, to his visceral and emotional “Rattle Your Chains” flooded by soft blue lights, Ben Rogers 5 song set left you fulfilled and longing; the mark of a true troubadour.
Jacob Banks
Nigerian-born and British raised Jacob Banks, who’s genre defying style will make you believe in love and sensuality again. His deep baritone voice is simultaneously gravelly and yet crooned out and enveloped you like silk, Jacob Banks proved that the hype over the long-anticipated album Village was worth the wait.
With influences ranging from gospel to 90’s hip-hop, Banks hooks the moment he began singing “Be Good To Me”.
Jacob Banks closed out his night with “Chainsmoking”. A haunting track about defying and persevering through the bad kind of love that left you shook to your core, but more importantly compelled and moved.
City and Colour
Dallas Green’s latest tour was a hypnotic and spellbinding set. With hits spanning the last 15 years, Green’s uptempo shoegaze meets folk sound has evolved into a lasting experience. Starting off with tracks from his latest album A Pill for Loneliness, “Astronaut” and Loneliness” Green continued to hold the audience’s heart for the duration of his set.
“If I Should Go Before You” and “Northern Wind” still hold the same magic they did the first time. Green’s emotion and guitar with iconic falsetto have matured into a cohesive sound. It still leaves you inspired and excitedly anticipating what comes next.
Green’s genius and comfortability on stage left the whole 800 people crowd silent in awe while he worked his magic.
With this tour it is safe to say that gone is the listless acoustic sound of Dallas Green’s rebranding from Alexisonfire days.
Green has created a musical experience. Both contemporary and timeless, many of us will be able to pass along. We can share with our own children as teenagers just as we shared in Green’s journey at the same age.
Article by: Blake Thibault Gilmore