Driving a minivan and wearing a Spider-Man mask, Tyler Hilton and opening artist Dion Roy greeted fans outside Ritual Nightclub Oct. 2.
Packed against the stage, fans gathered to see musician Tyler Hilton and two openers.
Hilton, best known for his role as Chris Keller on the television series One Tree Hill, was welcomed by an Ottawa crowd for the second time this year.
Opening acts included New York’s Dion Roy, and Vermont native Justin Levinson.
Levinson talked about his experience touring with Hilton and Roy.
“Both guys are beyond welcoming and down to earth. The first night I jumped on the tour Tyler spotted me in the green room and asked me if I wanted to sit down with him,” Levinson said.
“He talked to me like an equal, asked me how I was, where I was from. It really meant a lot to me.”
Levinson said Roy also shares Hilton’s down-to-earth qualities.
“[Roy] introduced me to his friends and has given me some pointers as a more seasoned touring artist. Couldn’t ask for better company,” Levinson said, adding that touring has been a blast.
“The people are amazing. I’ve made a lot of new friends and I hope to be invited back again in the near future,” he said.
Levinson said the show in Ottawa was amazing and is grateful to Ritual for hosting him.
Fans sang along as Hilton played songs from his new album Forget The Storm as well as previous hits like “When It Comes.” He also covered “When the Stars Go Blue” by Ryan Adams and “Missing You” by John Waite.
Jami Shaffaf, a fourth-year health sciences student at the University of Ottawa was pleasantly surprised with Hilton’s show.
“I didn’t know it was going to be an acoustic set. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a pretty small venue which I really like because it was a lot more intimate. [Hilton] was really interacting with the crowd,” Shaffaf said.
“He seems like a very nice person and he really exuded that during his performance,” she said. “I really, really enjoyed hearing his voice live and just raw like that,” Shaffaf said.
Shaffaf said it was a really personal experience to see Hilton.
“I’ve been listing to Tyler Hilton since I was in grade 9. Your first year of high school is a year of changes and his music was a major part of the soundtrack to that year for me,” she said.
Hearing the songs live brought back memories for Shaffaf, who said the experience was “incredible.” She also enjoyed the informal nature of the show.
“He was just playing what he felt like playing,” she said.
