Lithium Magazine

www.davidgray.com
www.raylamontagne.com

By Valerie Bennett
Photos by Dave MacIntyre

The illustrious Molson Canadian Amphitheatre is host to some of the world’s more eminent and elite talent, in terms of their summer concert series. This was certainly true on Friday, August 27, 2010 when the Amphitheatre showcased sets by Serena Ryder, Ray LaMontagne and David Gray. Fans had the opportunity to not only hear and witness, but also experience, a full evening of musicianship that was nothing short of spectacular.

As doors opened and the venue slowly began to fill, Canadian folk and indie rock artist Serena Ryder kicked off the show with “Little Bit Of Red”, demanding attention with her raspy yet melodic voice and notable guitar skills. Her lively nature and upbeat persona were apparent as she sang, stomping her brown boots on the stage, keeping time as she strummed passionately on her acoustic guitar. She followed with “All For Love”, while fans familiar with the track sang along to her honest and relatable lyrics.

Ryder introduced her song “Brand New Love” by sharing how she wrote the track in a tiny hotel room in Paris, France, in an attempt to create a larger space for herself. She showcased her impressive three octave range closer to the end of the song, holding a note long enough to receive cheers from the crowd. Ryder swapped guitars and grabbed a harmonica for her final song “Dark As The Black”. Despite an early and brief set, Ryder got the show started on the right foot, and those who had the chance to watch her perform gave her the warm reception she most certainly deserved.

Following Ryder was Ray LaMontagne with a tightly tuned 13-track set full of his signature folk rock sound. LaMontagne had the crowd cheering from the beginning with “Repo Man” from his newest release God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise, released August 17, 2010. LaMontagne thanked the audience as he started into “New York City’s Killing Me”, perhaps the most alluring song of his entire set. The slow pace of the stripped down instrumentals provided by the band allowed for LaMontagne’s rough and folksy vocals to be the main focus. He stayed on that path as he segued into “Let It Be Me”, a soulful and revealing song with sentimental lyrics, which LaMontagne performed with raw integrity. Similar tracks throughout his set included “God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise”, “Are We Really Through” and “Like Rock & Roll and Radio”. Each subdued song changed the atmosphere within the venue and provided the audience with a feeling of shared intimacy.

LaMontagne displayed his instrumental talents on tracks such as “Old Before Your Time”, “For The Summer” and “Beg Steal or Borrow”, incorporating harmonicas and even a voice distorter. His enthusiasm for his music became prominent as he stomped on the stage and rocked out, clearly lost in the moment. His band, The Pariah Dogs, consisting of guitarists Eric Heywood and Greg Leisz, bassist Jennifer Condos, keyboardist Patrick Warren and drummer Jay Bellerose; also amped up the set with their solid performances.

LaMontagne and the band closed the set with heavy drum kicks, raspy vocals and foot stomps as the crowd rose to their feet to clap and dance along. However, LaMontagne gave the audience one last taste with a single song encore before he humbly thanked the audience with a shy wave as he and the band exited the stage.

Finally, British alternative rock artist David Gray took the stage for the coveted headlining spot, counting in to start the acoustic-driven track “Draw The Line”. Gray then thanked Toronto and followed up with “Fugitive”, the first single from his 2009 album. Gray switched up the pace with “Now and Always” when he traded his guitar for a harmonica, allowing him to rock about before moving to the piano for the remainder of the song. He also performed “Slow Motion”, “Kathleen” and the hit “This Year’s Love” while playing piano, the latter receiving a positive response as fans sang along with Gray’s encouragement. The track blended pop elements with his folk rock roots, creating a shamelessly addictive tune, and one that Gray delivered beautifully live.

He continued to demonstrate his musical talent by transitioning between soulful melodies backed by piano and upbeat tempo acoustic tracks. His craftsmanship on the guitar became even more evident during the nine-minute song “Say Hello Wave Goodbye”. Each strum on his acoustic complemented his drawn out verses while the individual notes on the backing electric were like carefully enunciated words. Other notable songs included “Babylon” in which the crowd stood to participate in singing and clapping, and “Please Forgive Me” – the final song of the set in which Gray passionately played the piano before thanking the crowd once more. Like LaMontagne, Gray didn’t disappoint and performed a two-song encore with “Nemesis” and “Sail Away”, as the he and the crowd swayed collectively one last time.

All in all, it was a memorable evening of threes; showcasing three talented musicians boasting their powerful voices, sentimental lyrics, and refined instrumental abilities.