Although power was out in much of Centretown, folk singer-songwriter Frank Turner put on an outstanding performance at the Bronson Centre, while proclaiming a message of love and support to the city.
Turner’s promoter, Spectrasonic, informed fans on Saturday that their venue had power, and opened the space for fans to charge their electronics. They also assured people that the show with Turner on Sept. 24 was still happening and that they would be setting up a donation box to help support the relief efforts. The effort fit the spirit of Turner’s latest album, Be More Kind.
Before Turner and his band, the Sleeping Souls, hit the stage, the crowd was blessed with performances by two outstanding opening acts. The first was Bad Cop/Bad Cop, an all-female punk rock band from Los Angeles.
The group kickstarted the show with a loud, gritty performance.Their songs were a fun mix of political and emotional, and they set a high bar for the other performers.
Up next came Ottawa-frequents Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs. As the only Canadian act of the tour, the crowd welcomed them to the stage with open arms.
After the Toronto-based group made its way to the stage wearing distinct blue denim vests with the band’s logo on the back, lead singer Sam Coffey came out wearing a black and gold, Elvis-like caped outfit.
They rocked out their entire performance, interacting with each other and the fans, and playing double-necked guitars in synchronicity.
Coffey started things off on a soft note, opening his set with the title track of Be More Kind. Immediately after, he went into the upbeat “1933,” also from the new album.
Turner’s set consisted of mostly music from his other records, notably songs like “Recovery,” “Get Better,” and “I Still Believe.” Although the Bronson Centre has a very small general admission standing area in front of the stage, he insisted that the crowd form a circle pit, which turned into a regular mosh pit.
Turner boasted about his love for Ottawa, especially in the wake of the weekend’s events. He reminisced about his previous shows in the city, while also asking that people come together and help the people who suffered from the tornado a few days earlier.
Mid-way through playing “The Way I Tend to Be,” Turner noticed that a man in the front row had just proposed to his girlfriend. Tuner celebrated the newly-engaged couple by dedicating his next song, “Going Nowhere,” to them, and presenting them with a drum head signed by him the band at the end of the show.
After playing a set of solo acoustic songs, Turner and his band came out to play an encore. Turner jumped into the crowd several times to crowd surf, dance, and mosh. After finishing with “Polaroid Picture,” Turner thanked the Ottawa crowd, then left the stage.
Many international artists often overlook Ottawa as a music city and elect to perform only in Toronto or Montreal instead. Turner is not like that. For someone who comes to Canada from the UK, he has shown genuine appreciation for this city and his Ottawa-based fans by consistently returning and playing fantastic shows.
Until next time, Turner.
Photo by Jeff Pelletier
