There’s nothing more Canadian than braving the elements during a massive snowstorm to see Headstones at the Bronson Centre Music Theatre on a Friday night. And that’s precisely what several hundred fans did, eagerly lined up around the corner, well before the 7pm door time.
Part of the ongoing Rebel 101.7 Real Rock Series, Friday night’s Headstones sold-out show was the first of a two-night stop in Ottawa on their Flight Risk tour, supporting the newest album of the same name.
Opening act Arcana Kings delivered an emphatic, high-energy set of bagpipe-infused anthemic rock (yes, you read that right). Highlights included the infectiously catchy “Here We Go” and fittingly, a killer cover of AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll),” which morphed into “Thunderstruck.”
Canadian rock radio mainstays, Kingston’s Headstones went right for the throat as they hit the stage, instantly firing up the crowd with the 1-2-3 punch of “Flight Risk,” “Pinned You Down,” and “Tweeter and The Monkey Man.”
Frontman Hugh Dillon took a moment to announce, “We’re back! F$#k COVID!” to massive applause from the crowd.
Their set continued—raucously loud and unapologetically brash as they kept the Bronson Centre crowd moving and fist-pumping, and there was even a little wheelchair crowd surfing from local Super Kyle Humphrey, with Dillon pausing to say, “Kyle, are you good?” after Kyle disappeared into the crowd. All was good; Kyle was fine, saying, “I waited 20 years for this!”
Dillon humorously quipped, “Where were you when we played Barrymore’s?! You owe me money!”
Aside from being one of the most recognizable voices on Canadian rock radio for the last couple of decades, Hugh Dillon is a busy man these days, acting as Sherriff Donnie Haskell on Yellowstone, as well as being co-creator, executive producer and actor on another Paramount series, Mayor of Kingstown, so it certainly felt like a treat to have the chance to catch Headstones as they rolled through town.
Other than the killer batch of new songs from the Flight Risk album, the band play many favourites from their catalogue, including “Cubically Contained,” “When Something Stands for Nothing,” “Unsound,” and “Smile and Wave.”
After Saturday’s second night at the Bronson Centre, the Flight Risk tour continues with another gig at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre on Thursday, December 22.
.gif)
