RAY LAMONTAGNE GIVES US A NIGHT OF BEAUTIFUL MUSIC IN TORONTO
Ray LaMontagne. It’s a name I’ve heard around for a long time. Whether coming to town somewhere nearby, or on the bill of a festival here and there. I had heard a couple songs, mainly from his ’04 release “Trouble”. It’s never been a name I followed though. When I heard he was coming to play Massey Hall in Toronto, intrigue took over and I thought I better take the chance and see this guy play. I read that he decided to start playing music after hearing a Stephen Stills album. I don’t know how accurate that is. Seeing as I’ve been transferring all my mothers’ vinyl over to digital, and she has some Stills, I thought it’d be a nice way to warm up on my way to the Hall.
I’m probably not the first to draw comparisons of LaMontagne to singer-songwriters like Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, or even Bob Dylan. It’s impossible not to draw those parallels though when you listen to the soft soulful rasp of LaMontagnes’ voice, or the composure of his songs.
He took the stage solo to start the night, but was quickly joined by the members of The Pariah Dogs. There’s something to be said about a group of people just getting on stage and playing. No jumping, no pyro, no gimmicks. Just music plain and simple. The mood was quiet during his songs. This sold out crowd was paying attention to everything being sung and played. It seemed reminiscent of what the ’71 Neil Young Massey Hall show was like (If you’ve heard it…and you should). People listening and enjoying the music. Waiting for the end of a song to let all the appreciation out, so as not to ruin the moment. Don’t get me wrong this wasn’t an old crowd. It was very mixed. Between songs there was often banter between those in the galleries and Ray up on stage, responding with humble thanks. It was a great atmosphere for a Monday night show. Low lights often just silhouetting the band. Apparently “Ray doesn’t like spotlights” a fan told me. That seems plausible, as there was never a full spot on him the whole show.
This really was a night that had the feel of going back to that time of influential singer-songwriters, when they were at the top. We’re so lucky though that Ray LaMontagne is here in the present to show us that there are still singer-songwriters capable of capturing an audience for a night of beautiful music.
You can click HERE to view a few photos of the show.
Category: Photo Updates, Reviews