The Never Surrender Tour is all Hart

Glass Tiger and Corey Hart turned Rogers Place into a time machine and really big house party!

Glass Tiger frontman, Alan Frew, was able to run around the stage, end to end, mear weeks after an accident caused him to break his neck!  He recalls the story for the audience and was told he woke up singing … and even more poetic, the name of the tour, IS the Never Surrender Tour, so of course he couldn’t cancel!

 

Fun Fact that Frew shared with the crowd is that 2 of the band’s biggest hits were written on the same day … the FIRST day they got together to work with the legendary Jim Vallance!

 

He did a great job engaging with the crowds and teasing some of the audience members … surprisingly, at the end of the set, he removed his t shirt and threw it out in the ladies in the front … the surprise was the 6 pack he had … everyone on stage threw the audience into a timewarp, not just because of the music, but because the performers didn’t seem to age … what’s their secret and more importantly, how do the rest of us put it to use?!

 

 

The moment the lights went down after the intermission, the crowd erupted into cheers, sprung up on their feet, and didn’t sit back down the rest of the evening.  Phones came flying out of pockets to record as much of the show as possible … I’m guessing for the music more than the video because not much stability in recording video with one hand while dancing!

 

 

Throughout the show, from main stage to B stage, Corey’s repeated message to the crowd was his appreciation for them.   He pointed out that most artists are forgotten 2-3 years after leaving the stage but he pretty much left music all together in order to be present and on hand for every aspect of his children growing up – something he sorely missed as a child.  Importance of family was another repeated theme throughout the show … from bringing all 4 of his children out on stage to unexpectedly serenade his oldest daughter to introducing his wife as “the love of my life”.

 

A compilation of fan photos and videos and artwork played on the 3 big screens during Everything in my Heart … a song he said was often mistaken for a love song between 2 people … indicating it’s really his love song to his fans.

 

A surprise guest came out on stage to do a song with Corey towards the end of the set.  Local country singer, Brett Kissel came out in an Oilers jersey and electric guitar to throw a little country into the pop mix and the crowd was eating it up … but then it didn’t seem like Corey Hart could do any wrong, except of course, end the show after the encore and acapella bit of Never Surrender after the rest of the band left the stage,

 

He closed out the night putting on an Oilers jersey of his own with “Hart” and the number 19 on the back, making an offer to the city he says hasn’t been made anywhere else on tour … invite him to perform the National Anthem at a hockey game … preferably during a Stanley Cup run.

 

Corey Hart wraps up is whirlwind cross-Canada tour tonight in Vancouver.  Given the reaction from the crowds and Corey himself, here’s hoping he doesn’t stay away as long before hitting the road next time.