Some really, really close seats. I could see the sweat on their faces!
Sunday night in Ottawa…what is there to do?
Head down to the National Arts Centre to see Matt Mays on the Howl at the Night tour, that’s what there’s to do!!
You all know my love for Matt Mays. He can do no wrong in my eyes.
This tour was the culmination of everything that has come before it. His band is top notch and the way the night unfolded was magical.
I had no idea Etienne and I got tickets so close to the stage…third row in a the small Babs Asper Theatre at the National Arts Centre. It was uncomfortably close at first but once the show started and the crowd gathered it just made it all the more intimate.
Pretty sure I could touch the stage if I reached out my hand! I was also kicking myself for leaving the good phone at home. The iPhone5 camera does NOT take the best photos.
Skye Wallace. The Dream Weaver.
Skye Wallace opened up the set and it was a rocking good time. The band was firing on all cylinders and Skye Wallace is a force to be reckoned with. She had an incredible stage presence and is definitely worth seeing again. I even picked up all her albums at the merch booth after her show.
Starting out the show nice and slow.
The Howl at the Night tour was a combination of their past few tours. They opened the show with a bunch of acoustic tunes and morphed into a full out electric show. I really enjoyed how the set unfolded…first up was Matt solo on piano. Then he invites a bandmate. Then another, and another, and another. 8 songs into the set we finally get to see the full lineup.
I really love the latest touring lineup of Matt Mays. I always enjoy Adam Baldwin as the right hand man and now the stage is flanked by Leith Fleming-Smith is an insane keyboardist who has his own legion of fans. I even saw someone with a homemade t-shirt of Leith and it said Leithal Weapon. Fabulous!
I’ve seen Matt Mays a lot over the years. I remember seeing him open up for the Sam Roberts Band on their inaugural tour back in 2003. They’ve been around Ottawa quite a bit and I have to say that this was the best live incarnation of the band I have ever seen. Everything coalesced into a fantastic night. I was glad that Etienne got to experience the power of Matt Mays for the first time!
I almost forgot to write about a highlight of the night…Matt brings the mic out into the crowd through the aisles at one point and then decides to hook back in on good ole Row CC which was our row! Sure enough, he starts walking on top of all the seats to end up smack dab on Etienne’s seat and singing to the rest of the theatre. So basically, we had to stare at his butt for the rest of the song which was hilarious. Good times were had.
Check them out on this tour!
Here’s the tour poster created by Ottawa’s very own Ottawa Gig Posters.
Setlist (Matt Mays)
Howl at the Night
Drive On
Dark Promises
Downtown
Ola Volo
Ain’t That the Truth
The Past
Spoonful of Sugar
Travellin’
Building a Boat
Indio
Station Out of Range
City Of Lakes
Take It on Faith
Let There Be Love
Terminal Romance
Tall Trees (country version)
On the Hood