The stage is simple; adorned with a few stools, a guitar rack, a piano and some music stands holding the nights setlist. A light setup for one of Canada’s top entertainers. I knew right away we would be in for something special tonight.
Before the main event would kick off, we were treated to a few songs from an upcoming musical about Johnny Reid’s grandmother simply called Maggie. Johnny felt she was such a special and amazing person and touched so many lives, she deserved a tribute in her honour. Maggie was widowed at an early age and was left to raise three boys on her own. The play is about rising above adversity with strength, humour, family and a loyal group of friends. When Dharma Bizier walked out on stage, she seemed to exemplify the very personality of Johnny Reid’s Granny. Her voice was amazing as she took us through samples from the forthcoming play.
The stage goes black as Maggie walks off. There is a very brief intermission, not even enough for a bathroom break or a beverage top up. The music starts and the main attraction walks onto the stage with rousing applause. There is no doubt that Johnny Reid is a much-loved performer. He takes his time getting settled in as he seems to greet everyone with an individual glance, wave, wink, or handshake. This is the second of two sold out nights at the Shell Theatre in Fort Saskatchewan and yes, you heard correctly. Johnny Reid in Fort Saskatchewan at the Shell Theatre that holds just over 500 people.
Johnny Reid has played several consecutive sold-out nights at places like the Jubilee Auditoriums in both Calgary and Edmonton and Mile One Centre in St. John’s. He’s filled arenas across the country. He preformed on Canada Day in front the Queen and Prince Philip at our nation’s capital. He’s won numerous Canadian Country Music Association and Juno awards. He has several top selling albums and chart-topping hits. But this tour is different. This tour is special for Johnny as he wants to come to you.
Every time Johnny Reid hits the road, he plays in larger cities at larger venues for at least a couple of consecutive nights. People from all over these regions travel as far as a few hours drive to see him live. Johnny made a decision this time to bring the show to us. The musician said he enjoys playing the big shows in front of big crowds, but when he asked people on social media where they would like to see a live performance, a lot of them opted for smaller venues. “So we’re going to be going places that we’ve never played before,” said Reid. “This tour and this album gives us the chance to be a tiny bit more personal. It’s going to be very special for me and I hope it’s going to be special for everyone else too. The pandemic has taught me a lot about the value of time. I’ve given a lot of thought about how and where I want to spend my time. I’m really excited to bring this tour to as many places as possible. I can’t wait to reconnect with all of the people that have supported me all of these years in a more intimate concert experience”, said Reid. This is the largest ever tour in Canadian music history with over 100 dates. I’m glad we witnessed a part of history. It truly was a special night.
I’d like to share with you many of the stories Johnny told throughout the evening, but I would spoil it for those who have yet to see this concert. I will give you a few teasers. There’s the story about a woman who demanded Johnny take her deceased husband’s hat and why she was so adamant. The reason his father doesn’t want to be buried in a suit is another great lead in for the song Pinstripe Suit. You will probably be surprised to learn who Johnny’s greatest confident is and it’s not who you’d think. I can share this with you, “They’ve called me a blues singer, country singer and a soul singer. I just hope they never call me what they called me grandpa and that’s a folk singer. He was called that because every time he sang, people would say ‘Oh folk’”
This show was a great one as it brought one of Canada’s bigger stars up close and personal. I felt as if we were sitting in Johnny’s kitchen passing the guitar around and sharing stories. Most songs were introduced and greeted with much laughter and applause. There were a few moments that left the audience members with weepy eyes such as Picture Of You, Woman Like You and Dance With Me. His promise of reaching as many people as possible is coming to fruition as his tour meanders across the vast land called Canada. He is still playing out west as of writing but will hit central and eastern Canada soon enough. The tour wraps up with three nights in Glace Bay Nova Scotia. Many nights are sold out already as would be expected. If you are one of the lucky ones, enjoy the show. If you are not, keep checking your local venue as seats have been made available on the day of the show.
Thanks to Johnny for coming to us this time. I’m glad I didn’t miss this show. For more information on the Love Someone Tour visit https://www.johnnyreid.com/ Joining Johnny on this tour are long time collaborators Michael Shand on piano, Andrew Thompson on guitar and Miku Graham on backing vocals.
