River Town Saints debuted their album at Crazy Horse in Ottawa and everyone in attendance was in for a real treat!
River Town Saints
On June 6, the River Town Saints performed songs from their self-titled debut album. It was an intimate concert for those in attendance, many of whom who had won VIP admission through Ottawa's radio station New Country 94.
The boys of River Town Saints are truly talented. Throughout the show, they showcased their abilities with beautiful harmonies and fun vocal riffs. They started the night by kicking things off with "A Little Bit Goes a Long Way". As the night went on, they played many crowd favourites, including "Cherry Bomb", and "Bonfire", and the entire bar was singing along. They also used this night to present some of their newer songs, including "Hungover It" and "How I Got To You".
Although the first time ever done live, River Town Saints nailed their performance of "How I Got To You", and the crown loved it! I was disappointed that they didn't play the whole album for those in attendance. The one song I had really wanted to hear live was "I Hope You're Driving". This is my favourite song from their record, and I know that everyone in attendance would have loved it!
Music aside, River Town Saints is an incredibly approachable band built by a group of guys who seem to be having the time of their lives!
While onstage, the guys did a little Q&A. One of the questions that was answered was How did you get here?. What I hadn't realized was that Chris Labelle had gotten his start on Canadian Idol. After his stories of hair bleaching and shaving, followed by brightly coloured mohawks and a t-shirt that read Grandmaz Love Mohawkz, I had to go find these videos. I was not disappointed! Even before the show I could tell that Labelle had a lot of energy, but it really came through in his idol auditions.
During this impromptu Q&A, we also got to learn a little bit about all the other band members. Watching the band interact on stage, and tease each other, highlighted just how close this group of guys is! Dan, was razzed for living in Newcastle, when the rest of the group was in Ottawa. They teased that they had to move him to Ottawa as soon as possible, because his playing needed the most practice. Jeremy was teased for being the best Kijiji find! And Jordan and Chris McCombs were pestered for being from Arnprior originally, and not technically Ottawa.
What I really appreciated about the guys from River Town Saints was how available they were for fans. Before the show they were milling about with the crowd, chatting and taking pictures. After the show they posed for individual photos with everyone, not just those who had won VIP. I also got chatting with Chris Labelle's mom while waiting to introduce myself. She was lovely, and obviously so proud of her son!
All in all, the concert was a complete success! Everyone left with a smile on their face, including Brea Lawrenson and Ches Anthony (the new singer for Cold Creek County). About halfway through the show, Labelle laughed saying that there were celebrities far more famous than him in the audience. When he announced Ches and Brea the room erupted in cheers and laughter.
If you want to hear River Town Saints debut album, we are offering you 2 chances to win a copy! Check out what I had to say about the album here, and comment your favourite RTS song below before Monday, June 12 at 12pm for a chance to win!
Hi there! I just finished a joint honours BA in Psychology and Linguistics. I love meeting new people, and hearing their stories - which is what led me to my love of music.
