Scott Helman and Ria Mae kicked off their cross-Canada tour on Oct. 13 with a fantastic performance in Ottawa at the Bronson Centre.
In front of a packed crowd, the two Canadian singer-songwriters delivered spectacular sets and delighted the audience made up of people of all ages.
The tour is being branded as a “fight” between Helman and Mae, with artwork inspired by a well-known picture of artists Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. However, the only competition between Helman and Mae is to determine which of the two co-headliners closes off the night, and they make the decision in a very peaceful way: with a friendly coin toss. Helman won the first coin toss of the tour, but Mae was okay with that.
“I secretly wanted to open tonight,” Mae told The Charlatan. “This is the first night, so I want to get on that stage first.”
Before the main part of the show began, Jonathan Roy gave the show the start it needed by energizing the crowd with a fun and upbeat opening performance. The Quebecois singer-songwriter played many of his catchy reggae and pop-infused songs, including “Daniella Denmark” and “You’re My Ace” from his 2017 album Mr. Optimist Blues.
Roy’s performance helped establish a very positive atmosphere in the room, which was perfect for Mae to take the stage. With the support of her band, Mae soothed the crowd with her strong and soulful voice, but also got the crowd grooving and dancing to her upbeat music.
Mae mostly highlighted songs from her 2016 self-titled album, but she also introduced fans to new songs from her upcoming EP, My Love, including its title track and “Bend.”
“I just felt these songs fit together really nicely, we’ve been playing a couple of them already,” Mae said. “I just wanted to get it out there, so this tour felt like the perfect time.”
Helman and his band came out in full force to close off the evening, as they played through songs from both his EP Augusta and his 2017 album Hôtel de Ville.
The setlist flowed very well. It was mostly filled with more upbeat tracks, but included some of his more laid-back songs in the middle. In particular, Helman managed to silence the theatre for a heartfelt solo acoustic performance of “Machine.”
To the delight of the adults and parents in the room, Helman paid tribute to one of Ottawa’s all-time greats, Alanis Morissette, playing a cover of her 1995 hit “Hand in My Pocket.”
When talking about the tour, Helman previously told The Charlatan: “Everything’s falling into place really nicely.”
For this show, that was exactly what it felt like. When it comes to engaging a crowd, interacting with fans and putting on a great live performance, Helman seems to be heading in the right direction. It had only been a month since his last concert in Ottawa at CityFolk, but the 22-year-old showed clear signs of improvement from what was already an excellent show.
All three artists kicked off the Scott vs. Ria tour in perfect fashion. It was a fantastic showcase of up-and-coming Canadian artists, the atmosphere was great, and everyone on and off stage seemed to be having a good time.
Photo by Aaron Hemens
