This past Friday marked the return of Montreal singer-songwriter Sam Roberts to Halifax. Roberts has played here a myriad of times, and at various venues around town; he was in town in support of his latest release TerraForm. True to form, Sam Roberts and Co. tapped Adam Baldwin (solo artist, and guitarist for Matt Mays) to open up the show, which has become somewhat customary as Mays was the usual opener earlier in Sam’s career.
When the clock struck 8 o’clock, the Forum MPC was fairly full, the beer and coat check lines were long, and people were headed to find a spot down by the stage in preparation for the evening’s opening act (and local favourite) Adam Baldwin. It’s always a pleasure watching Baldwin and his band perform, as they have a distinct intense energy that will get a crowd revved up. While it’s fun to see the band perform in a venue such as the Seahorse (as they did for their album release earlier this year), Baldwin’s retro-rock sound is perfect in a room such as the Forum MPC. The band’s set was primarily material from the debut album No Telling When (Precisely Nineteen Eighty-Five), with a couple of choice cuts plucked from Baldwin’s eponymous debut EP.
After an energetic set, it was time for the obligatory change over. The stage crew chucked bottles, picks and set-lists into the pit as they made room for Sam Roberts Band’s gear. When I realized what they had tossed overboard, I quickly grabbed one of Adam Baldwin’s set lists, and with a little help from a fellow photographer got it signed. I have yet to see a set of Baldwin’s that disappoints, as this night certainly did not.
Earlier this year, the Sam Roberts Band hit the studio to record their 6th full-length album Terraform, and when it came time to announce tour-dates it came as little surprise that Halifax was included. Roberts is no stranger to these parts, as he has never failed to include at least one Maritime date, but normally he plays a handful of shows while out East. It has been a bit since the band’s last visit, as they played the Canada Day show at Alderney Landing back in 2014 (with a then relatively unknown July Talk). Much like his pals Adam Baldwin and Matt Mays, Sam Roberts isn’t known for his flashy stage setups and extravagant spectacles; instead, his shows are focused squarely on his music and sharp musicality.
The set at the Halifax Forum last Friday night was built largely of cuts from 2016’s Terraform and 2014’s Lo-Fantasy, and yes, there were the handful of prerequisites such as “Brother Down” and “Bridge to Nowhere”, but the newer material was lapped up hungrily by the Haligoons in attendance on this evening. The room was packed, with a large contingent of Gen-Xers who have been fans of Sam Roberts since his debut EP Brother Down, and for those folks, the tracks from Terraform felt reminiscent of the band’s breakthrough effort We Were All Born in a Flame. It was another stellar performance from the talented singer-songwriter, which did a great job of showcasing the new material. Let’s hope Sam stops by again sooner than later (two and a half years is too long to wait).
