Bryan Adams playing his greatest hits on a perfect outdoor night in an outdoor venue. What more can you ask for? This man is a national treasure and has sold over 100 million records in his life. I was excited for this show and the man delivered.
Just look at this set list:
Do What Ya Gotta Do
Can’t Stop This Thing We Started
Don’t Even Try
Run to You
Go Down Rockin’
Heaven
Kids Wanna Rock
It’s Only Love
This Time
You Belong to Me
Summer of ‘69
When You’re Gone (solo acoustic)
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
On A Day Like Today
If Ya Wanna Be Bad Ya Gotta Be Good
Back to You
We Did It All
Somebody
I’ll Always Be Right There
Please Forgive Me
Cuts Like a Knife
18 til I Die
The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You
ENCORE
Brand New Day
C’mon Everybody
All Shook Up
She Knows Me (solo acoustic)
Lonely Nights (solo acoustic)
Straight From the Heart (solo acoustic)
All for Love
Remember
Totally epic, my only complaint was that “Heaven” and “Summer of 69” should have been later, but one thing you don’t realize when you go to his show is just how many damn hits the man had. I found myself knowing the entire lyrics to “When You’re Gone” and “Back To You” even though I haven’t heard those tracks for twenty years probably. What kind of witchery is that?
The new tracks were surprisingly decent and they provided a breather in what otherwise was a complete singalong set. I don’t think I’ve seen so many iphones recording the show in the air as I did when he brought out the Robin Hood song.
The band sounded great and for a man who has been singing since the 80s, Bryan Adams sounded great live. The encore featured “All For Love,” the Three Musketeers song, Sadly, there was no Sting or Rod Stewart. More sadly though, Bryan Adams didn’t try to do Sting or Rod Stewart impressions when he sang their parts.
Nostalgia is powerful but what is even more powerful is simply good tunes. When you have both, it’s an unstoppable combination. This was Bryan Adams on a warm Tuesday night in Toronto.