REVIEW: Johnny Reid keeps focus on relationships

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This article was published 19/10/2010 (5804 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s strange that Johnny Reid has become one of Canada’s biggest country music stars, since there’s little about his music that could be classified as country music.

Case in point, the Scottish-born Canadian’s concert at the Centennial Concert Hall Tuesday night. The first of three sold-out shows at the venue (he returns for two more next week on Oct. 25 and 26) was more akin to a rock ’n’ soul revue than anything resembling a twangy country show. The Nashville resident, his nine piece band — including a three-piece horn section — and two backup singers offered up nearly two hours of upbeat Stax Records-inspired blasts of R&B and heartfelt ballads.

What he does have in common with country is his focus on relationships, love and family, which serves as the inspiration for his music and between song banter.

The smiley 36-year-old has a trophy case filled with Canadian Country Music Awards, Junos and has the No. 1 album in the country right now — A Place Called Love — so he easily could have sold out the MTS Centre, but Reid decided to stick to theatres to give his audiences a more intimate experience.

It was a good move on his part since Reid is an entertainer who likes to get up close and personal and interact with his audience.

Taking the stage looking sharp in a black shirt, black pants, shiny white shoes and a white jacket, Reid started off on an upbeat note with the one-two punch of two funky tracks — Old Flame and Love Sweet Love — which instantly had the crowd of 2,300 primed for a good time.

“Everyone on stage tonight appreciates the value of a hard earned dollar and we appreciate you coming to see us tonight,” Reid said earnestly in his thick Scottish brogue during one of many between-song chats with the crowd as he explained origins of songs, talked about his family, told jokes and reminisced about his early days in the city playing the Palomino Club.

He slowed things down and had the crowd singing along to A Woman Like You, had everyone throw their hands in the air for Higher and got them clapping along for That Man is Me.

Years of honing his craft in clubs and casinos has made him a true entertainer who understands how to interact with a crowd and pace a show, mixing in danceable, soulful fare like Out of the Blue (where he showed off some choreographed dance moves with his two female backup vocalists) and Darlin’, with tearjerkers like Dance With Me, the title track to his 2009 Juno-winning album, and Today I’m Going to Try to Change the World.

He gathered at centre stage with three band members and told a story about moving to Canada in 1988 and calling his Granny in Scotland every Sunday until she died two years ago.

“She smoked like a chimney, drank like a fish and partied like a rock star. She was brilliant. She was unbelievable,” he said, relating a story about her accidentally smoking marijuana at his wedding.

He choked up as he described her death and explained why he recorded the song, Tell Me Margaret, which features the line, “Who am I going to call on Sunday, now that heaven has called on you,” about her.

It was that kind of honesty and venerability that has made him one of Canada’s most popular artists, whatever genre you want to slot him in.

rob.williams@freepress.mb.ca