Dasha announced her tour stop in Montréal and I knew I was going to do anything to be there. After all, I did promise to bring y’all the best female artists to lock in with and support before they explode. And with Dasha announcing during her set that she’ll be coming back for Lasso (it’s not even on their website yet), I once again reign supreme in my music taste. However, I am used to shooting and reviewing small artists in small venues, so throwing myself into Centre Bell to review and shoot three artists at once was a crazy step up. So much so that I had to call in a favour from a friend (thank you again, Brandon, you are truly the best) to borrow his camera because I don’t own a lens capable of shooting from front of house/the sound desk instead of the pit like I’m used to.
One thing about me is that I will do everything I set my mind to, even if it’s by the skin of my teeth. So there I was, running through downtown like a chicken with my head cut off through the busy metro, rush hour traffic, delays, people throwing bikes, children screaming, Friday night dinner time, the smell of every kind of food wafting past my nose. And there I am in the chaos of it all, weaving through the sea of commuters in cuffed blue jeans, a leather belt with a removable buckle, black cowboy boots, a plain black T-shirt, a leather jacket from the ’80s, and a massive backpack. Severely out of breath while trying to play it cool.
Live in person, April 4th, 2025 at Centre Bell to shoot Dasha, Scotty McCreery, and Kane Brown (the largest venue I have ever had the pleasure of shooting). A labyrinth of concrete and me trying every single door in an attempt to acquire both my seat ticket and my photo pass, with a camera I’ve never shot with from a brand I haven’t used since high school (and never professionally), none of my own presets and settings, the camera manual open on my phone (unread), face stoic and heart quivering as I go through the metal detector. Looking somehow out of place and exactly where I am supposed to be all at once. Proudly y’allternative, half cowboy on my dad’s side. I’ve graduated from emailing that I got in to professional contacts, but I will certainly never be too cool to update my parents the second I am through security. It’s also thanks to them that I’m into country in the first place, and it’s about time I got back to my roots.
I’ll attempt to pretend I’m not thrilled to see the re-emergence of female country singers ready to throw down at a moment’s notice. As someone who blasts “Earl” by The Chicks, “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood, “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, “That Don’t Impress Me Much” by Shania Twain, and “Somethin’ Bad” by Miranda Lambert ft. Carrie Underwood, “Austin” by Dasha has been on heavy rotation in my house.
Dasha certainly doesn’t disappoint live. She expels energy like a dynamo, emerging from the dark in a fully black leather fit with knee-high cowboy boots. Her voice is a powerhouse and her fashion is killer. Real recognises real and diva recognises diva. Honestly, I almost forgot I was there to work. Dasha sure didn’t though, as she strutted the catwalk and repeatedly interacted with fans both in the pit and stands.
The stage build was genius. Honestly, it should be the new standard. The standing pit was completely encircled by a wide catwalk, making it very easy to get barricade and see the performers up close. Seated pit made up about half of the floor, and they got a front-row seat for a good handful of songs, which is pretty unheard of when there’s a standing pit. The circle catwalk also allowed Kane Brown’s band to stretch out and enjoy themselves. And as someone who regularly goes to rock concerts, I was thrilled by the amount of pyro, lighting changes, and structures Kane could climb and interact with to make it a genuine performance and an incredible spectacle.
The one bad thing about being in Centre Bell instead of a small venue reviewing and taking photos is that I only get to hear the first three songs of each artist before being shuffled back to the soundproof area to wait for the next act. I can’t guarantee the setlist like I have with my other reviews, but it seems like Kane plays the same setlist every night, and I was in my seat from “Lose It” onwards and can confirm all the ones from that song forward. Maybe I’ll get to hear “Austin” live at Lasso this summer, but this concert was basically a mini Lasso with comfortable seats for my weary knees. Plus, all three artists ended up singing together for “Says I Can,” which was iconic, well-harmonized, and pulled the whole show together.
There was truly something for everyone: country, an American Idol winner, and someone who’s controversial for daring to call themselves country even though they undeniably embody the meaning of the word. My sincerest apologies to Scotty McCreery. He was excellent, with a voice built for country that went down easy like a glass of iced tea enjoyed on the porch while the sun sets on a hot summer night, but he just happened to be sandwiched between two genre-bending, tattooed, dancing machines and I got distracted. Plus, no one’s going to stand there and say to his face that he ain’t country. The man looks like an ad for the American Dream and sings about his wife in a way that lets you know she’s the first to hear his music and the muse behind it.
As someone who gets razzed for my septum ring the second one leather boot touches prairie soil, Kane Brown is undeniably doing country in a very refreshing and authentic way. I had never heard Kane before signing up to photograph him, but upon hearing Kendrick Lamar start playing in the dark before he hit the stage, I knew I was gonna have a good time—and I was right. Honestly, anyone who does a crip walk on a country stage is going to drop some sick beats and sing about the kind of women I go wild for and try to be. Hell, I even have a playlist named Country Girl I’ll Shake It For You. His country girl, Katelyn Brown, not only shares marriage vows and three children with him but also three released songs, and Montréal was lucky enough to get two duets back-to-back from the power couple.
And as someone who loves a solid ending to a concert, I am happy to say there was no encore. The man did what he showed up to do, said one goodbye and left. Mad respect. I also gotta give huge props to the arm strength of Kane’s guitar player who managed to nail me with a guitar pick despite being halfway up the lower bowl while I was furiously typing notes into my phone (it was happily picked up by a fan while I was still trying to figure out how he managed to do it). No harm, no foul, but damn, man—drop your workout routine.
Setlist
- I Am
- Start a Fire
- I Can Feel It
- Fiddle in the Band
- Like I Love Country Music
- What Ifs
- Lose It
- Be Like That
- Homesick
- Haunted
- Backseat Driver
- Worship You
- For My Daughter
- Heaven
- One Mississippi
- Says I Can (with Dasha & Scotty McCreery)
- Good as You
- Body Talk (with Katelyn Brown)
- Thank God (with Katelyn Brown)
- Bury Me in Georgia
- One Thing Right
- Miles On It
Review & photos – Ashtyn Turner
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