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Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the final North American show of the Lay It On Me world tour, featuring Vance Joy, Amy Shark, and Chappell Roan. Having stopped in Montreal several times since the 2014 release of his debut record, Dream Your Life Away, including performances at Osheaga and a three night stint at the Metropolis last year, it’s clear that our city can’t get enough of Vance Joy. Playing a sold out show at Corona Theatre, last night was certainly no exception.
Starting off the night was Chappell Roan, a 19 year old singer/songwriter from Missouri. Several times, the musician expressed her excitement over being in Montreal for the first time while participating in her first ever tour. Her personality was very sweet and peppy, which contrasted interestingly with the melancholy tone of her music and the depth of her vocals. Most notable were Chappell’s performances of “Bad For You” and her single “Good Hurt.”
Next up was Amy Shark, an Australian indie pop musician. A little more upbeat, Amy helped get the crowd warmed up for Vance Joy. She managed to connect very well with the crowd, telling us an adorable story about her song “Weekends,” inspired by having to call a high school crush on his home phone and speak to his mother. The best performance of her set was her final one, a romantic song called “Adore.”
Around 9:45, the lights went down while Vance Joy’s band began a drawn out intro to “Fire and the Flood.” The build up certainly got the crowd excited, as Vance Joy came out to begin the song to deafening applause. He then delved right into several songs off Dream Your Life Away, including “From Afar,” “Wasted Time,” and “Red Eye.” He went even further back with “Snaggletooth” from his God Loves You When You’re Dancing EP.
Vance Joy also treated us to several new songs from his upcoming album, which he promised is not far away! We got to hear “Like Gold” and “Take Your Time,” a song that Vance Joy joked was not his first love song. “Call If You Need Me” was a solo acoustic performance, inspired by the long showers the musician claimed to love, where he would end up talking with his girlfriend through the glass of the shower door.
One of the highlights of the night was hearing old favorite “Georgia,” a song that got a huge crowd reaction from the very first guitar riff. Fans were equally enthralled with Vance Joy’s cover medley of Lionel Richie’s classic “All Night Long” and Justin Bieber’s “Sorry,” which he somehow managed to make completely his own. After an hour, Vance Joy left us with “Lay It On Me,” one of my personal favorites and the inspiration behind the current tour. After a couple of minutes, we welcomed the musician back onstage for two final songs. Everyone sang along to “Riptide,” which Vance Joy played with his ukulele, and got even louder for “Mess Is Mine.”
Overall, it was an incredible night of music with three great acts. Vance Joy is an extremely lively performer, managing to get the crowd riled up or quiet and contemplative, depending on the song. He has excellent chemistry with his band, and the brass instruments in particular added a great deal to the live show. With the reaction that Vance Joy gets each time he visits our city, I have no doubt he will be back again very soon!
Listen to “Lay It On Me” by Vance Joy:
Connect with Vance Joy:
Connect with Amy Shark:
Connect with Chappell Roan:
