As I walked into the Empire theatre in Belleville Ontario, I could immediately sense the high energy of the crowd.  Belleville doesn’t get too many artists coming through and it being one of the stops on Tyler Shaw’s Wanted tour had everyone in the theatre filled with excitement.

Craig Stickland opening for Tyler Shaw at the Empire Theatre in Bellville. Photo by: Poatus

The first artist to go to one stage was Craig Stickland. His dynamic vocal range and high caliber guitar playing quickly grabbed my attention. For his whole set, he maintained one of the most impressive musical performances I’ve seen in a while. I did, however, find that the crowd was not as invested in his act as I was. The crowd was made up of a younger demographic who in that show seemed to be focused more on other aspects of the performance than the musical talent. I feel that Stickland is an opener for the older crowd who attends the show. The crowd that can notice how rare his talent is.

Neon Dreams opening for Tyler Shaw at the Empire Theatre in Bellville. Photo by: Poatus

The next artist to go on was Neon Dreams. This Canadian alt-pop duo consists of vocalist Frank Kadillac and drummer Adrian Morris. Their high energy genre-mixing songs quickly got the crowd up and into their performance. They did multiple instrument switches and keep the crowd engaged throughout their entire show. I have a feeling that everyone in the theatre instantly became a fan of Neon Dreams.

Tyler Shaw at the Empire Theatre in Bellville. Photo by: Poatus

Tyler Shaw was raised in Coquitlam, British Columbia. At the age of nineteen, he was the winner of the “MuchMusic Coca-Cola Covers Contest 2012”. In the same year, he released his debut single, “Kiss Goodnight”, through Sony Music Canada. The success of this Single made him the one to watch in the Canadian music scene. He has grown a lot since that first single and his musical style has evolved. I had the pleasure of seeing him at the same venue in 2015 and his stage presence and vocal ability have grown drastically over those few short years.

Shaw had the crowd engaged and, on their feet, the entire show. He showed a diverse range with his vocals and his crowd interaction showed how much he cares for his audience.

I would recommend that you see him live. It’s a concert experience that you will not forget.

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