Dallas Green and his band City and Colour delivered a warm and comfortable show to
the crowd at the Calvin Theatre on Friday, Sept. 13.
The Calvin Theatre is one of the gems of Northampton, and has allowed countless musical acts to come through its doors and perform in its cozy yet spacious concert hall. The homey and grand theater has a helpful, positive staff, as well as beer on tap, creating the perfect atmosphere for bands like City and Colour to perform in.
The group has always chosen smaller and cozier venues, including the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, which was the home of their show last Saturday night. To no surprise, Friday’s show was intimate; the Calvin Theatre was small enough for everyone to stand close to the band, while the high structured ceilings allowed for a great natural resounding sound.
Concert-goers enjoyed Green’s acoustic abilities, the surreal, hauntingly beautiful and alive sounds of which could be heard fluidly throughout the hall. City and Colour delivered a show lively enough to shake the crowd with its captivating musical performance.
The group played a number of songs from their various albums, including tracks from their new LP, “The Hurry and the Harm,” which debuted at number 16 on the U.S. “Billboard 200” chart upon its release in June. A few of the songs that were played off of the album include “Harder than Stone,” “Ladies and Gentlemen” and “Paradise”.
Despite the intimacy of the show, Green had very little to say to the audience. The few things he said were either witty jokes or the stories behind certain songs. One track he spoke about was “Paradise,” which he described as a song about a time in life when everything is seemingly perfect, but one cannot find it within themselves to be happy.
Other songs the band went on to play included “Northern Wind,” “Fragile Bird,” “The Girl,” and “Body in a Box,” which are all songs from earlier records.
Before playing “Body in a Box,” a track from the band’s 2008 LP “Bring Me Your Love,” Green asked a favor of the audience, one he claimed to make at all his shorts: He asked concert-goers to forget about their cell phones for the duration of the song.
The crowd became beautifully dark as the bright lights of the stage lit up the theatre. The song speaks of living life to its fullest potential and of letting go.
Throughout his music, Green captures the most intense of emotions. He is able to captivate audiences with his natural ability to use music as a connection to emotion. The crowd was mesmerized by Green as he took control of the stage and delivered more than any audience could hope for.
Deirdre Cedrone can be reached at [email protected]
