Imagine a tornado hits your home, but instead of destroying it, it rearranges the furniture, does your laundry, leaves it neatly folded and cooks you a delicious meal. Andra Day is a force to be reckoned with, but a force for good.
I promised myself that I would not compare Andra to another vocalist whose name is a combination of my favorite beverage combined with a dwelling. Whereas both possess(ed) an incredible gift in the form of angelic vocal cords, one was a tornado of self-destruction, while Andra projects love, warmth, courage and self worth.
This evening was a conversation she had with each and every one of us, both in words, lyrics and song. What did we talk about? I’m not going to tell you; you should have been there. For those of us fortunate enough to be in that room, we left feeling lighter and better about ourselves, invigorated by the experience.
I entered the Corona Theatre and made my way to the front of the stage. The room was fairly packed when Voyce from Montreal started us off. To me, this was 70s Motown karaoke, but about half the crowd seemed to enjoy it. I can’t help but think that, from what I’ve hear from his website, an original set would have been more rewarding.
Conrad Sewell photo – Randal Wark
Conrad Sewell from Australia was next and although this wasn’t exactly my kind of music either, it was surprising how much the crowd responded to him and even sang along. When I heard him sing, I did think right away of an American Idol style repertoire and I wasn’t far from the truth. Sewell auditioned for Season 2 of Australian Idol, but didn’t make it. Their loss, because he really had a grasp of the crowd and was very entertaining to watch. He hit the stage, with “Firestone” and because of his accent (he does find the French accent to be sexy), I though he said: “We light up the war” but it was in fact “We light up the world”. On this night, he lit up the room with his voice.
His songs revolved around heartache, such as “Start Again” which he wrote about a girl that broke his heart. He really got involved with the audience, either singing directly to someone, or during “Who You Lovin’” would ask that question in song to a couple till they pointed to their partner. For “Hold Me Up”, he left the stage and joined the crowd and their cell phones upright filming.
Sheryl, a guest standing next to me was of the opinion that he really got the crowd going. I would have to agree with her, there was a spark in his eyes and it felt like the stage was the most comfortable place for him to be on.
Set List
Firestone
Shadow
Start Again
Who You Lovin’
Just Friends (Sunny) cover (?)
Hold Me Up
Remind me
After some intermission music consisting of Portishead, I witnessed the strangest and most awkward band entrance ever. You know that feeling deep inside of you when the background music fades, as does the lights and your heart starts to beat faster in anticipation. You see shadows take their position on the stage and everyone welcomes them with applause…then the first note starts. In our case, the lights did fade…the band did take their position, Portishead was still playing, but they were missing someone. Was this a sign that we were dealing with a diva, who would only come out on her own terms? Was her makeup not perfect? Did they not have the right brand of tea and she was pulling a childish tantrum?
I’m not sure what transpired between the time her band took the stage and she did, but her demeanor and personality would indicate that she is far from a diva. Throughout the evening, we would see a woman who derives power from music. With that power, she projects a warm blanket that gathers us all under it’s comfort and safety. Within that safety, we were encouraged to have one voice, through song, to forget our troubles, overcome our anxieties, depression, insecurities and be a force for good to those that surround us.
She eventually came out, to a warm reception and took a seat by the drums. As the first notes sounded of “Forever Mine”, the first track on the album Cheers To the Fall, I felt her reach out to each one in that audience, searching for the heart. With each passing song, she held on stronger and it was too late to escape her vintage spell.
Conrad warned us that Andra was the best singer he had ever heard, and I have to agree. While I can appreciate the vocal acrobatics involved in turning a simple word into a multi-syllable scale, it does get on my nerves. Andra has just the right amount, impressing us with her vocal virtuosity, but like a hot sauce, using just the right amount to add flavour rather then overpower it.
Andra seemed at times embarrassed at the amount of love she was receiving from Montreal “filled with music lovers and steak houses” she commented. I found it interesting that during “Only Love”, Andra felt comfortable enough to hold her cup of tea, while that other singer would probably be holding a G&T at that point.
Her songs were at times autobiographical, such as “Rearview” which is about Andra going through the process of a relationship that ended, looking and recognizing that it was amazing, but that it was not the right thing for her at that time. She would then “turn this place into a club” as she slips in some Michael Jackson covers.
There were two incredibly powerful moments for me during this show. After sharing her love for Kendrick Lamar’s music, admitting that she often felt self conscious of her looks growing up, she said that the song “No Makeup” really touched her. While she is bearing her soul, we are witnessing a brave act of purity, as Andra proceeds to wipe away her lipstick and all but her eyeliner makeup. She is instantly transformed before our eyes with an inner beauty and strength that no diva would ever attempt. It’s sad that so many have self worth issues, caused in part because of the Photoshopped perfection that is portrayed as normal in glossy magazines. How refreshing to see someone take away the mask and show us that true beauty is more than simply skin-deep, it emanates from within.
The second moment that really got to me, was during “Goodbye Goodnight”. Before me was a mother and young daughter enjoying this beautiful music. As the song starts, the daughter turns around and hugs her mother and they proceed to dance, in this loving embrace, throughout the song. In that moment, I understood the power of Andra’s voice and message.
Before “Rise Up”, Andra continued our conversation with inspiring words, which I won’t share here. She repeated them during her performance of the song, followed by the voice from the crowd which you can experience here:
Here I am, showing the above video to my wife and I’m teary eyed. Such is the power of her music, to stir emotions buried deep.
Andra ended the evening with a rendition of a Queen song “I Want It All” where she expended the last of her energy in a burst of power, ending with her dramatic collapse to end the show.
The tornado has passed; I have been moved by the experience. I would expect that all those in attendance somehow felt the power of her voice and message. For those that missed her this time around, make sure to follow her site to be informed of the next time she visits Montreal.
Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and Business coach with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Photos – Steve Gerrard
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