Show Review – Jason Kirkness

Who: Jason Kirkness
When: May 30, 2017
Venue: The Goodwill Social Club
Where: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Genre: Country

There’s nothing quite like seeing an appreciative artist interact with their fans and as always, Jason Kirkness was and did just that, and his sincerity was genuine. The Goodwill Social Club was THE place to be on Tuesday night as Kirkness got on stage to perform every song from his just released CD A Beautiful Disaster to a packed house. As soon as he yelled out, “Hell Yeah!” the crowd rushed to the stage. For those in the house that have been long-time supporters it was like no time had passed since they saw him perform last. For all the new fans, they got to understand why Kirkness has such a large and loyal following. He loves what he does and it shows!

The night started off with his just released single, “Whiskey Kiss” followed by a fan favourite, “It’s What I Like About U.” That’s when the dancing happened and it didn’t stop all night. Kirkness then performed, for the first time live, a ballad, “One More Fix” and he did an excellent job. His vocals were immaculate. For him, “it’s kind of a cool night.” He spoke from his heart when he said,” every aspect of my life is in the same room in one night.” That is itself is pretty amazing to hear. He spoke about a fan that has been around since he first started out in 2006, and how she’s still around. She was the first to buy his first CD, Life on the Road, and he was ensuring she got the first copy of A Beautiful Disaster. This is why his fans are so loyal. Loyalty begets loyalty.

The evening had a lot of magical moments and the song that was the icing on the cake was “A Man Like Me.” This was another first-time live performance. The room became silent as he sang this romantic ballad. There were so many special moments throughout the night and the crowd was transfixed on Kirkness the whole time. Because many of the tunes on this album were written and performed live a few years ago, including “Folsom Prison Blues,” Good Life,” “Let Me Take Your Picture” and “Barefoot” people were reminiscing about all the good times that came along with those melodies. It was like they stepped back in time. Kirkness showed off a lot of his signature moves which made everyone seem happy that he was at long last back up on that stage. Right after he performed “One More Night” (a line from this is “one more night to believe in magic”) Kirkness had everyone, including himself, believe that this was the night that magic happened.

At this point, the band left the stage so he could perform an acoustic version of “Life on the Road.” He updated this one. It started off quiet and slow, then he amped it up as he got into it. The crowd absolutely loved it.

Everyone thought that the show was over as he left the stage. But, it wasn’t. He brought the band back up to “play the hits.” He started off with my all-time favourite, “Leavin’.” This one always brings tears to my eyes and that night was no different. It’s beautiful and expressive. Kirkness started the song off slow and soft but heart-breakingly sad but then he brought up the tempo and it instantly became cheerful. The pinnacle of the night though was “No Cowboy.” Everyone became energized as they sang along to this hit. The band had the most fun of the night with this tune. The night ended with the song that started his career, “Run Me Away.” It was done superbly. Fans were delighted to be a part of this night and this new beginning for a man they have come to adore.

To sum up the night in one short sentence … Jason Kirkness was triumphant!

Jason Kirkness is definitely an artist you need to check out if you already haven’t. If you hear that he’s are playing near you, I urge you to go. You’ll not regret it.

For more photos from the show, head to our Facebook page!

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