O’Donnell charms Victoria
REVIEW
What: The Daniel O’Donnell Show Where: Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre When: Thursday
Irish singing star Daniel O’Donnell made his Victoria debut Thursday night with a show that felt like it was beamed in via satellite from another era.
If you closed your eyes for a moment during his performance, you were transported to a time when easy listening was king and headliners went on the road with enough musicians to ice a pickup hockey team. That’s not something you see in concert very often in 2017, especially around Victoria.
O’Donnell, 55, is an old hand at this strain of show biz. He made his name over the past 15 years through numerous PBS television specials, the sentimental kind that target those eager to relive the days of Andy Williams and Anne Murray.
O’Donnell has a more updated sound, but not by much, and his dedicated supporters were treated to an enjoyable trip down memory lane Thursday.
There weren’t hordes of them in attendance at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, but he easily won over the 2,000 fans who took in his long-awaited Victoria debut.
The two-set performance was a mixed bag of influences. In addition to the usual guitar-bassdrums accompaniment, his band also showcased keyboards, banjo, fiddle, accordion, mandolin and pedal steel.
The country theme was heavy — he did a medley of Hank Williams songs, which gave the night some much-needed steam — but never fully abandoned his Emerald Isle roots. And yes, that includes a customary version of Danny Boy.
Not only did he sit for a section of gently sung Irish traditionals, but the suit-wearing, joke-telling showman also did his best Michael Flatley and joined in for an impressive jig with four dancers from Victoria’s O’Brien School of Irish Dancing.
O’Donnell was in especially strong voice during the Irish standard Eileen McManus, a duet with longtime bandmate Mary Duff, who later filled the arena with her booming version of Linda Ronstadt’s Silver Threads and Golden Needles. Duff was given plenty of time to shine during the 21⁄2 -hour performance, and did Canada proud with Rita MacNeil’s Working Man.
The yo-yo between Ireland and Nashville continued throughout for O’Donnell, whose smooth tenor had some range and power. He routinely played to his strengths with a succession of country classics, including Ferlin Husky’s Wings of a Dove, Johnny Cash’s Forty Shades of Green, John Denver’s Back Home Again, and Jim Reeves’ Whispering Hope. He even piped in a video feed of Charley Pride from a studio in Dallas for a duet of Crystal Chandeliers. Did he succeed in striking a perfect balance? If you’re a longtime fan, he did.
If you’re new to O’Donnell’s music and mannerisms, it was an enjoyable night out, at least. With more than 30 years of experience on his resumé, the Donegal-raised O’Donnell knows how to work a crowd.
He’s a savvy performer who has an easy way with stories and a gentle Irish burr that grows more likable the longer he’s on stage. Chatty and instantly affable, he’s a rarity at this point — a singer who seems to genuinely care about his audience.
That’s not without its merits.