The
London Free Press, May 8, 2005
Country
stars rock London
Transplanted
Canadians trek north from Nashville to show fans what our
country music's all about.
JAMES REANEY, Free Press Arts & Entertainment Columnist
There's
no place like Nashville for Canadian country music.
Carolyn
Dawn Johnson, looking gorgeous and bare-shouldered for most
of her set, topped the bill of transplanted Canadians at the
3,200-seat RBC Theatre at the John Labatt Centre last night.
Also
starring on last night's bill were George Canyon, from Hopewell,
in Pictou County, N.S., and Aaron Lines, from Fort McMurray,
Alta., but based in Nashville for about six years.
Johnson
opened her set with two of her best songs -- Dress Rehearsal
and Georgia -- before a crowd of about 2,000 fans.
"Ladies,
you are awesome," Johnson said, pointing to a group of
hat-wearing female fans. "Thank you for all your screaming."
At
Johnson's urging, the fans stood up as she finished her set
with a strong run of Complicated, Squeezin' the Love Outta
You and Simple Life.
After
opening her encore with a strong I Don't Want You to Go, the
fun really started. Rocking through Bruce Springsteen's Glory
Days, Johnson called out last night's other singers -- Canyon,
Lines and East Coast roots singer-songwriter Dave Gunning.
It
was a glorious finish as they all took turns with the Boss's
lyrics, proof that even Nashville's Canadians know you can
find a great finale in New Jersey.
Based
in Nashville since 1997, Johnson grew up in Deadwood, a community
of about 200 in Alberta's Peace River country.
They
don't come any more solid, strong and sincere than Canyon,
who has the best 14-year overnight success story around.
"My
mind says I'm 18, but my body says, 'Wait a minute, big fella,'
" he said, when he moved a little less gracefully than
usual.
He
was more than agile on one of last night's covers, Johnny
Cash's Folsom Prison Blues. Canyon can boom those low notes
like his late hero. Canyon was also strong on a song he called
his favourite piece of country music, George Jones's He Stopped
Loving Her Today. With heroes like that, and the voice and
stage presence to make the most of it, Canyon is definitely
a traditional country force in the making.
It
has just taken a while for him to get into Nashville.
Born
Fred Lays Jr., Canyon has been working on a career in music
since he was about 17.
Suddenly, in 2004, it all began to pay off. Canyon tried out
for TV's Nashville Star talent search during its Calgary stop.
Something clicked. Months later, he wound up finishing second
to Brad Cotter.
Canyon
won a truckload of country music awards as 2004 rolled into
2005. Then he claimed the Juno country award at Winnipeg last
month. No wonder he called his wife, Jennifer, with tearful
joy. His Universal South debut One Good Friend has already
produced such hits as I'll Never Do Better Than You and My
Name.
Last
night, he dedicated One Good Friend to Jennifer, who worked
three jobs at one time to help Canyon pursue his dream. He
said she's "a single mom" too often because of the
amount of time he spends on the road. In the days she was
working all those jobs, Canyon was raising their two children
by day and making music at night.
Among
the recordings bested by Canyon's at the 2005 Junos was Johnson's
Dress Rehearsal.
Lines
was swimming in a London Knights jersey for his set. It was
a Dylan Hunter item and he joked about the players being so
much bigger in the OHL than him -- Lines played hockey as
a kid growing up in Alberta -- that he needed to keep tucking
it in.
He
also borrowed most of Johnson's band for a set including such
hits as You Can't Hide Beautiful and Waitin' on the Wonderful.
Lines signed hundreds of autographs after Canyon's set and
Canyon was out signing after the concert.
Canyon
introduced Gunning, a friend, who opened the night with a
20-minute set.
Meanwhile,
it's not country, but fans can expect a helping of Black Eyed
Peas at the downtown London arena later this year. Details
about the L.A. hip-hop superstars' date are to be announced
soon.
Copyright
© The London Free Press
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