Sam Hunt brings a house party to Ottawa on Friday night!

What better way to spend a late September Friday night than at a house party with Sam Hunt and a couple of his buddies at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.

Newcomer Dalton Dover kicked things off with a set that showcased his powerful vocals and surprising range. First breaking onto the scene in 2019 on The Voice where he joined Blake Shelton’s team before being knock out in the Battle Rounds. Dover delivered 7 of his own singles as well as a surprise performance of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You” which instantly hooked those in the crowd that came out early. No question we haven’t seen the last of Dover, having already made his Grand Ole Opry debut, it’s just a matter of time before he’ll be headlining his own shows up in Canada.

Russell Dickerson took to the stage next, his last night on the Locked Up Tour with Sam and Dalton, and quickly raised the energy in the house. Cranking through a dozen high energy hits from Every Little Thing to Blue Tacoma and more as well as a mashup of MGNO, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and I Wanna Dance With Somebody the crowd was at a fever pitch, one of the loudest crowds I’ve heard in Canadian Tire Centre in a while. I’ve seen Dickerson a number of times now and you’re always guaranteed a party when he’s in town.

By the time Sam Hunt took to the stage the Canadian Tire Centre was packed to the rafters with only the odd empty seat to be found. I’ve seen Sam Hunt a number of times but they were always festival appearances so this was my first experience with him performing at one of his own headlining shows. While it’s not uncommon for artists to leave the stage and venture into the crowd most wait until later in their set, not Sam. Sam was off the stage into the crowd by his second song and the crowd loved every minute of it.

To me Sam Hunt will first and foremost be a songwriter. His songs cross genres and musical styles but they have meaning and tell stories. Before his own rise to fame Keith Urban took one of Hunt’s penned singles, “Cop Car” all the way to the top of the charts. Last night’s show played out like a songwriters showcase on steroids. Hunt connected with the crowd through his lyrics and the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including “Cop Car”.

Sam Hunt and Dalton Dover will wrap up the Canadian leg of the Locked Up Tour tonight in London, Ontario at Budweiser Gardens. Limited tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.com

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