By Richard Burnett for Curtains Up
@bugsburnett
Proudly out 22-year-old British pop star Sam Smith headlined the Bell Centre last night for one of Montreal’s most buzzed-about concerts. Smith was originally supposed to make his local debut at the tiny Le Belmont nightclub on The Main back in March 2014, but that show was cancelled when Smith accepted to be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live that same week instead. Pretty much overnight Smith’s popularity exploded worldwide. Smith then rode his singles Stay With Me and I’m Not the Only One to the top of charts, and is poised to sweep the 2015 Grammy Awards.
If barely 300 fans could have squeezed into Le Belmont at $16.50 per head last year, a whopping 12,601 happily paid up to $90 per head to see Smith headline the Bell Centre. No bells and whistles, smoke or mirrors, and the fireworks were generously supplied by Smith’s crack band (which featured five musicians and three backup singers) and the loud adoration of a young and very vocal audience.
Later, when the band left the stage for a break, Smith sang Good Thing alone centre stage with his longtime pianist Reuben James. “He and I were playing this song in front of 100 people just 18 months ago,” Smith told the crowd.
Smith’s fluid vocals were not just in top shape last night, but his sincere awe at how far he has come – from playing 100-seaters to selling out hockey arenas in just over a year – was a genuine pleasure to behold.
Smith’s second encore was Make it to Me which he said is a song about a former boyfriend. He said it loud and proud, the audience (with a sizeable queer contingent) loved him for it and – Montreal audiences being notoriously louder than most – he also said, awed by the audience, “I probably shouldn’t say this, but this has genuinely been one of the best gigs of my entire life.”
After that it was pretty much pandemonium. Smith then closed the show with a rousing version of Stay With Me.
And if this audience grows with him, Sam has the makings of a long career indeed.
Set List
1. Life Support
2. Together
3. Leave Your Lover
4. Only One
5. I Told You Now
6. Nirvana
7. Like I Can
8. Restart
9. Good Thing
10. Lay Me Down
11. My Funny Valentine
12. La La La
13. Money on Mind
Encores
14. Latch
15. Make it to Me
16. Stay with Me
