Reid shows why he’s a complete entertainer
When it comes to his Revival tour, Johnny Reid is preaching to the converted.
The 43-year-old singer/ songwriter brought his latest cross-Canada tour to Regina on Tuesday night for the first of two sold out shows at the Conexus Arts Centre. It was no surprise that Reid was able to fill the venue on consecutive nights as he’s a favourite in the Queen
City, having previously played to packed crowds at the Casino Regina Show Lounge, the Brandt Centre and the Craven Country Jamboree.
The travelling road show, scheduled to play 49 dates in a mere 58 days, was certainly up to the task Tuesday night with Reid serving as the ringleader and leading the way through an impressive 100-minute set.
So where should we begin? How about with Revival, which Reid released on Nov. 3. He packed 17 songs into the set, including a hits medley, with seven tracks from Revival making it into the show.
Recorded live off the floor over two days, Revival is an accurate portrait of Reid as an artist — it’s a wonderful mix that displays a sound influenced by soul, R&B, rock, pop and yes, country.
Reid got the show off to a rollicking start with Soul Train and Memphis, both off the Revival record, and Walking On Water, from 2013’s Fire It up. Powered by his 12-member band The
Soul Providers, Reid got hearts pounding, hands clapping and feet tapping with the strong start.
And then came Blank Page, a luscious ballad from Revival. While Reid has the power to light a set on fire with his uptempo tunes, it’s the ballads that separates him from the pack. When the spotlight finds him and he’s sliding his way through lyrics dunked in love, the people hang on to his every word as the vocals go straight to the heart.
Although Reid is definitely the star of the show, he is quick to share the spotlight with members of The Soul Providers. He made a wise decision to surround himself with talented and energetic musicians, something that allows Reid to take his shows to another level.
Each of The Soul Providers — comprised of Yvan Petit (guitar), Ben Rutz (fiddle/mandolin), Michael Shand (keyboards), Charles Field (drums/percussion), Andrew Thompson (guitar), Calvin Beale (bass), Jon Jackson (saxophone), Emmanuel Ehcem (trumpet), Oscar Utterstrom (trombone), Elage Diouf (percussion), and Tanika Charles, Miku Graham and D/ Shon (backup vocals) — got the opportunity to shine in the spotlight with Reid watching on like a proud parent.
Reid thoroughly enjoyed watching his musical family strut their stuff.
A highlight of the evening is when Reid, along with Petit and Rutz, went to centre stage for a stripped down session. Reid was joined by Jessica Mitchell, who opened the show, for Whiskey Kisses, a charming ballad from Revival. Reid then worked his way through a medley of hits — Today I’m Gonna Try And Change the World, Dance With Me and Thank You.
It was simple yet powerful and was a treat to watch.
The rest of the band then joined in for a tribute to former band member Mark Selby, who died in 2017 after a battle with cancer. They played Picture of You, the last song Reid and Selby wrote together.
The set also featured an appearance by Alan Frew and his Glass Tiger bandmates. They are on the tour in support of their latest album 31, which was produced by Reid and released on Feb. 16.
The 61-year-old Frew took the crowd back to Glass Tiger’s heyday with a medley that included Someday, Animal Heart, My Town, I Will Be There and Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone).
The new album features Glass Tiger’s hits reimagined along with one new song — Wae Yer Family, a duet with Reid.
When Reid and his bandmates walked off the stage at the end of the night, it was very simple to understand why he consistently attracts large audiences to his shows. It’s not his voice or his songs or his sense of humour or his engaging personality.
It’s the sum of all those things that makes Reid the success that he is. He’s a complete entertainer and that’s why as long as he wants to play shows, people will continue to buy tickets.