Who: Allan Rayman
Where: MTelus, Montreal QC
When: November 29th 2019
“Beware of the flying mic stands in the pit” is the message we received along with our media pass for the night. With a slight hint of dread looming over our heads (“Is tonight the night I finally get a concussion while shooting?”), we headed into MTelus for Toronto artist Allan Rayman‘s eponymous tour “The Allan Rayman Show”.
The show started by opening set by Loran G. the Illusionist. Yes, you read that right, it’s not the name of a band but a real magician. At 9pm sharp, the venue was plunged into darkness as Allan emerged alone, grabbing his guitar and jumping right into it. There’s no denying that Allan Rayman does not follow the codes of the industry, as he gives a moody performance with very little contact to the public. Watching him onstage is like riding a rollercoaster, from moments where he seems to be inches away from losing his mind, to prancing on stage in euphoria moments after. Set to the sound of his ragged whisper-like voice, and under a strobe light that seems to be made to focus on the music, Allan Rayman’s performance was strange, at times uncomfortable, but in a way that you absolutely enjoy it without realizing it, and that leaves you wanting for more once the lights go back up.
