As the days grow shorter, the temperatures finally start to dip, and rain becomes more frequent, it marks the end of another Outdoor Concert Season. In Halifax, it was one of the more eventful years on Citadel Hill, with Halifax Music Fest, Creed and the Great Outdoor Comedy Festivals all taking up residence at points throughout the summer, that does not even account for events along the waterfront or the Halifax Jazz Festival. As the outdoor season winds down, it means that the Scotiabank Centre season is just kicking off. Towards the tail end of August, the former Halifax Metro Centre welcomed Australian indie-folk singer-songwriter Vance Joy to its stage.
Not only was Vance Joy making his return to the region after nearly a decade, but he came complete with gifts. Before he graced the stage, a presumed pre-recorded message from Vance Joy played within the area, extolling his excitement about being back in Halifax, and as this was the kick-off to his North American tour, he wanted to share the World Premiere of his latest single, “Divine Feeling,” which then played throughout the arena. Once the World Premiere faded out, Vance Joy walked on stage, and it was immediately apparent that he wasn’t headed to centre stage, but instead stopped at stage right where a mic stand was set up with an array of acoustic guitars, from which Vance plucked 
one and started playing “From Afar” from his 2014 debut album Dream Your Life Away. Then he was joined by a pair of his bandmates to continue this acoustic start to the show, performing “Winds of Change” also from that 2014 debut. Then it was time to move to centre stage, where Vance Joy was joined by his full band and launched into “Mess Is Mine,” and we were off to the races.
During his performance, Vance addressed the lengthy absence since his two sold-out nights at the Rebecca Cohn back in 2016, and expressed his happiness to be back in Nova Scotia to perform for the packed Scotiabank Centre, and to be kicking off the tour here. Looking around the room, there was a clearly skewed demographic focusing on ladies in their late-teens and early twenties, many of whom were accompanied by like-minded friends, or their parental chauffeurs. There were also a few younger kids in attendance, more than likely experiencing their first concert (and I couldn’t think of a better one).
Early in the set, another new song, “Fascination in the Dark,” was introduced, and Vance explained this was a freshly crafted tune that involved a degree of call and response and proceeded to educate the crowd on how that should go. The jangly, foot-stomping tune had a great vibe about it, and the crowd responded very well to the 2nd new song of the evening. The Halifax crowd was then assured that it was for new material, and the remainder of the show would feature some fan favourites. Next on the set list was a newer track, “Clarity,” which was off of Joy’s most recent album, In Our Sweet Time, which was followed by the well-known “Saturday Sun”. The tail end of “Saturday Sun” served as the perfect interlude as the singer-songwriter slipped off-stage and made his way to the back of the arena where he surfaced at the B-stage for a trio of acoustic songs, one of which saw his keyboardist join him for a duet of Sheryl Crow’s hit “If It Makes You Happy”, it was a sight to behold when the Aussie performed “I’m With You” with a backdrop of twinkling cell-phone torches held aloft, during which a proposal took place to much fanfare.
Then it was time for the handsome vocalist to hand off his guitar and head back to the main stage, where he broke out one of my personal favourites, “Georgia,” which is still an absolute show-stopper that shines gorgeously in the massive room. Before starting into the last couple of songs in the set, Vance took a moment to acknowledge a sign that a young fan had crafted specially for this show, outlining the fact that it was her 18th birthday and was hoping for an autograph, to the fan’s absolute delight. While the Australian singer did say there wouldn’t be any other new songs, he did still have one trick up his sleeve in the form of an unexpected cover of the KISS classic “I Was Made For Lovin’ You,” which was a great way to wind the night down, ahead of the hotly anticipated breakthrough smash single “Riptide”. It was an efficient set that was self-contained, without the need for the clichéd departure ahead of the encore, loaded with fan favourites spanning Joy’s entire catalogue.
Providing support on the Canadian dates for this North American tour was none other than Newfoundland gems The Fortunate Ones, who were fresh off a trek to Japan for a mini tour of their own. The delightful folk duo of Andrew James O’Brien (Guitar, Vocals) and Catherine Allen (Keys, Vocals) worked through a set of tracks that were melodious and soothing, and which transfixed the packed Scotiabank Centre. At one point in their set, Andrew dedicated a song to the brave, hardworking firefighters in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland (where his brother is one of those folks fighting the raging wildfires). The band also shared their love for Halifax, as it is where they have recorded their albums and where the band’s management team is based. Fortunate Ones were an ideal pairing for Vance Joy on these opening dates.
While the leaves will soon start to change, and we will begin thinking about those parkas that were stashed away, it just means that we’ll move inside to enjoy some of our favourite bands and artists. As we say goodbye to the summer concert season, we can settle in to the Scotiabank Centre for their stacked fall and winter lineup, which saw Vance Joy dazzle the packed house, officially starting the indoor concert season. Here’s hoping he returns before the decade is out, but this will be a show many folks will be talking about for years to come.
Vance Joy
