It was back in late 2024 when the announcement was made that the Vernon, BC based emcee SonReal would embark on a 2nd leg of his All Things Aside tour.  This 22-date stretch would start in late January in Vancouver and stretch across the country, wrapping up in Fredericton, NB, on March 1st.   The 2nd to last date on the tour saw the emcee bring his high-energy show to the Seahorse Tavern in the lower half of the 2037 Gottingen complex.

Considering that it had been nearly 8 years (to the day) that SonReal (nee Aaron Hoffman) had performed in Halifax. The room was buzzing with residual energy from the VIP experience as people milled about the room.  When it came time for the talented musician and emcee to hit the stage, he kicked off the performance with his breakthrough hit “Everywhere We Go”, and the room erupted with excited cheers.   This was a long overdue show, a fact even acknowledged during the set, as SonReal and the city share a mutual love, as he has been here a few times to perform.   The set was loaded with the familiar, bombastic hits such as “No Warm Up”, “Can I Get A Witness” and “Preach”, but it was the quieter moments when Hoffman donned his guitar for “My Friend” (an ode to his late father), and “1000 Highways”.

The swole, energetic emcee pinballed across the stage like a perpetual motion machine for the majority of the set, only slowing down long enough to either strip off another layer of clothing in the sweltering Seahorse or to play guitar for those intimate moments.  At one point, Hoffman welcomed his pal Quake Matthews to the stage to perform for the packed house.   There wasn’t one point that the crowd waned; they were right there with SonReal for the entire set, singing and soaking in the experience.

Along for the ride on this leg of the tour was local singer/songwriter/emcee Sunsetto, who made his triumphant homestand in the fabled room.  It was clear that Sunsetto was proud to rep Nova Scotia on his travels, and was overjoyed being able to perform at home.      Atay & Jay got a shoutout, as they were in the crowd to support their pal.

It was a great night of music in the Seahorse Tavern, and most folks left the room sweaty and smiling, ready to do it all over again if needed.  Hopefully Halifax is included on the next tour itinerary for the West Coast emcee, as it’s clear he has a devout and rabid fanbase here on the East Coast.