Kip Moore with Drake White – Live in Toronto
Kip Moore‘s Plead The Fifth Tour rolled into Toronto on Saturday night to kick-off a weekend of country music at the Danforth Music Hall, and it was a party.
With Drake White and the Big Fire and Fairground Saints on tour with the Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck singer, a sold out crowd was treated to a night full of country hits and fan favourites, as well as new songs that we look forward to hearing more of in the future.
As the country music fans filed into the venue the volume of the crowd increased. And by the end of the night… it was past impressive and into memorable territory.
We have to start by giving some love to the openers of the evening’s country music party, Fairground Saints. The emerging trio took the stage for an acoustic set and showed off their smooth harmonies, paired with well written and presented songs from start to finish.
The Fairground Saints set included originals from their 2015 self-titled debut album, as well as brand new songs, and a wonderful cover of the Eagle’s classic, One Of These Nights. We don’t know when new music from the group will come, but this first taste on their first Canadian tour has us excited to hear more.
After a quick changeover (and the lighting of some incense) Drake White and the Big Fire took over the stage, stood in the bright lights, and wowed the Toronto crowd.
Just short of a year since his performance during Canadian Music Week 2017, White was welcomed with cheers worthy of a headliner. And as the band played through their set featuring songs from 2016’s Spark, and his upcoming sophomore album that will drop on May 4, 2018, the cheering continued.
The Hokes Bluff, Alabama native looked and sounded right at home on the Toronto stage, rolling through It Feels Good and Story to start the show. And he only picked up momentum from there. As the crowd sang along with him, Nashville’s Drake kept the show going with Back To Free, Making’ Me Look Good Again, All Was Right With The World (new), and more, before finishing things off with a lively rendition of Livin’ The Dream.
We’ve been fortunate enough to see Drake White and the Big Fire a few times over the last two years. And after Saturday night’s show in Toronto, we’re reminded once again that this is a performer that is on his way to the top. He’s genuine, engaging, humble, fun, and his energy (kind of hippie with a country twang) makes for a great room. And, with his new album less than two months away, country fans should be preparing to see Drake White headlining his own tour in the very near future.
Next, and last, and with the most anticipation from the sold-out Toronto audience, was Kip Moore. The country rocker set the tone before he and his band even took the stage, choosing Foo Fighters as his intro track, injecting some rock and roll to the country music proceedings.
As Moore started the show with I’ve Been Around, the crowd started to cheer and sing along. And as the set progressed with Sunburn, they got even more into it. But it was the third song, Beer Money, that blew the roof off of the Danforth Music Hall. The singing reached its loudest to that point in the night, and as I stood in the photo pit, I could feel the power of the voices coming from behind me on their way to the stage.
During the set, Kip Moore confessed to the crowd that his voice was feeling a little raw, and that he wasn’t sure what he was going to have to give as he prepared for the show. In the same statement though, he told them that their energy, their love, and their singing and cheering along would keep him going. And when it seemed like Moore was hitting points that he couldn’t quite reach, the country music fans in attendance were more than willing to carry the load. From the front to the back it was easy to see the smile on Moore’s face as he felt the energy and singing wash over him. And he pressed on.
Kip Moore and his band gave Toronto all of the hits and fan favourites they could handle on Saturday night. With I’m To Blame, Come And Get It, Backseat, More Girls Like You, The Bull, Running For You and more coming in back-to-back fashion and keeping the buzz in the room alive at every moment from the start of the set to the end of the encore.
Note: It was great to see Rivertown Saints in the crowd at the Danforth Music Hall. The band opened for Moore last spring on five dates in western Canada and have a lot of love and respect for him. They also clearly love the music, singing along and having a good time at the back of the room.
While the energy and rock and roll influences were easy to feel throughout the night, things did slow down for a minute when Kip Moore stood alone on stage with his acoustic guitar to play That Was Us. It was sweet and real, with the Nashville star bringing an extra level of connection to a crowd that was already all in.
We also got a return of Drake White to the stage as the two singers teamed up (and included the voices of Moore’s band) to cover U2’s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. It was an unexpected addition to the set, but one that fit as perfectly as it could have.
As the set came to an end, the crowd cheered and chanted for an encore. And after a moment, Kip Moore returned to even louder cheers.
And late in the evening, after he had already clearly given everything he had to the show, Moore seemed genuinely grateful for the response and love that he continued to receive. And during the encore that included fan favourite Dirt Road and the deeply personal Guitar Man, he gave all that he had left in him on a Saturday night in Toronto.
Kip Moore told the crowd that he’s always felt like he’s been building something special in Canada. And he promised that if these fans continued to support him, he would continue to come back. He also promised not to write any cookie-cutter bullshit… and the fans were pleased with both of those promises.
Be ready to see a lot more of Kip Moore. He’s not going anywhere.
Kip Moore, Danforth Music Hall – Toronto
Drake White and the Big Fire, Danforth Music Hall – Toronto
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