Lewis Capaldi brought his return tour to the Bell Centre on April 21, sharing the stage with London singer-songwriter Joy Crookes for a night that packed the arena on an otherwise competitive Tuesday. The Canadiens were in the playoffs and up 2-1, which Capaldi acknowledged mid-set, dedicating a song to the Habs and getting an “Olé, Olé, Olé” chant in return.
Capaldi’s set leaned heavily on his catalogue of ballads, running from Survive and Grace through to Someone You Loved and the recent Stay Love, with room for a few detours along the way, including a verse of Celine Dion’s The Power of Love and a snatch of Justin Bieber’s One Less Lonely Girl. Between songs, he spoke candidly about his mental health hiatus and how good it felt to be back on the road, noting that Montreal was the first night of the North American run where his voice felt fully recovered after a virus.
Joy Crookes opened at 7:30, working through material from both her albums with three musicians behind her. Soulful and assured, with nods toward Amy Winehouse and Alicia Keys in the phrasing.
Kate Woolliams was there to capture the action.
