A few weeks back I saw a young, talented artist named Vanessa Marie Carter when she was one of the open acts for Canadian country giant, George Canyon.
Vanessa played a few songs and sounded good, but I wanted to see for myself what she could do with more than just a few songs. And what better place than The Stampede Ranch in Guelph, where you have 3-4 sets in a few hours instead of a few songs in just a few minutes as an opening act.
If you’ve ever been to the Ranch, you know that it’s rare to see anyone on the floor for the first set. But this time, back in the corner, the dancing started early. No one ever wants to be the first on the floor… but then there’s always one song that gets the crowd up. And for Vanessa and her crowd it was That Don’t impress Me Much by none other than Canada’s very own Shania Twain!
I’ll be honest, I would have liked to hear more of Vanessa’s own music that she co-wrote with some Nashville writers. But on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at the bar you always hear a lot of covers. What I found very impressive was that Vanessa’s stage presence. She was up dancing and interacting with the crowd, something you don’t usually see this early in an artist’s career.
Vanessa opened for Kira Isabella in 2014, in 2015 it was Brett Kissel and the Band Perry, and so far in 2016, she’s already been on stage supporting George Canyon. So now we have to ask ourselves who this Oakville native will open for next?!
For now, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Vanessa does have some tour dates coming up in Toronto and Kitchener… so if you’re in the area – check her out!
