City and Colour Concert

Slim's, located South of the Market district of San Francisco, opened in 1988 by R&B artist Boz Scaggs. Live music is played against a backdrop of a New Orleans's Manor complete with brick walls and chandeliers. This was the setting of City and Colour's first SF show on 1/27.

I was immediately surprised by the line outside of Slim's at 7:15 almost the length of the building. By 8 p.m. the line curved around the side. For a band who's ticket's sold for $15 a piece you would hardly imagine such a turnout.

Skinny jeans, scarves, v-neck t-shirts, and ballet flats were in high fashion for the women amongst men dressed in – well, the same. Inside I quickly found my way to the left front directly in front of Green's mic. To my right, a Kat Von D look-alike sharing with everyone her troubles with weed. And although she would love to smoke it, it messes up her body. This is news? 

Behind me, three teenagers bent on being the loudest in the club giggling and snapping photos from every angle. I immediately regretted my decision to leave my ipod in my purse.

Finally making their way on stage around 10 p.m. after opening act William Elliot Whitmore, City and Colour's Dallas Green opened the set with "Sleeping Sickness." Tattoos covering his arms and neck, Green stood on stage with Dwight Schrute glasses adorning his face, a light blue button-down shirt and "tube" (beanie) atop his head.

Switching between old and new, Green brilliantly played through a two-hour set and still left his fans hoping for more. As he played through songs from "Sometimes," Green added new rifts and sped up the tempo because "I hate those songs I wrote them like 15 years ago," murmured Green.

Half-way through the night Green's band left as he strummed through a few songs on his own. Best song of the night – "What Makes a Man?" As he sang the crowd, backed him up singing the back-up vocals heard in his album. "What makes a man? What makes a man? What makes a man? " With eyes closed, a large smile formed on his face as he continued the lead vocals.

We later found out that while he always assumes the audience knows what he wants them to do they have never echoed the backup vocals during a tour. He praised SF. I felt proud.

Since Green's first album "Sometimes," it is obvious that Green has redefined himself and his music. "Sometimes" played through melodic ballads with wispy vocals; the perfect setting for a rainy day drive. In "Bring Me Your Love," Green enters into a more rock-oriented acoustic sound that not only enhances his music but shows his versatility. While two very different albums, "Bring Me Your Love" is just as impressive.

City and Colour ended their night with an encore as most bands do. Green laughed at the idea of an encore saying "I don't get the idea of an encore, what's the point of me leaving the stage for 30 seconds then coming back to play? I'm not Bono."

While he's not saving Africa by each concert played...we still appreciated the extra songs. Overall the concert was one of my favorite by far.