Dean Brody brought his Dirt Road Stories acoustic tour to the Regent Theatre in Oshawa on Sunday night, with special guest Andrew Hyatt there to open the show.
The pair played stripped down versions of hits and favourites while engaging with the audience in a gorgeous, intimate setting. Throughout the night we heard stories to go with songs. And as the night wore on, it became clear that this was a special opportunity to experience talented singer-songwriters doing what they do best.
The show started with Andrew Hyatt at the front of the stage for a quick opening set. Accompanied by Derek Hoffman on guitar, Hyatt sang five songs for the Oshawa crowd, including a new track that we're hoping to hear on his new EP release in the pretty near future.
In our review of Hyatt's EP Cain, we said that his heart was on his sleeve and he was offering it all up for fans to take in. On Sunday night, he did all of that in person. It was pin-drop quiet as he sang, with every eye and ear locked on the stage. And as fans clapped and cheered after each song, and laughed at the jokes Hyatt told between them, they got a little bit of a closer look at the Nickel City singer. His charm and personable nature, the pieces we've come to know off-stage, shone and it was great to see.
The stripped-down acoustic set was a big departure from what we've become used to from Andrew Hyatt. This wasn't a sweaty, late night, volume cranked party. This was a reflective, open, intimate performance that fans are going to be able to keep with them as they watch his career continue to grow.
Andrew Hyatt Setlist, the Regent Theatre Oshawa
♡ Small Town
♡ Heaven Guessing
♡ She Ain't You
♡ On Me
♡ My Kind Of Crazy
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After a brief intermission, Dean Brody took the stage to a welcoming applause from the Oshawa audience.
The Juno, CCMA, and CMA award winner started his set with a trio of solo songs, including massive fan favourite Canadian Girls off the top. It was the first time I've ever heard Dean Brody play the song to start a show, and it was awesome. The energy in the room instantly jumped to a 10, with singing throughout the crowd and dancing in the aisles. And it set the tone.
Note: Brody also treated us to a verse and chorus from the first song he ever recorded, Sometimes You Step In It. He was bashful and funny in its introduction, proclaiming his embarrassment of its quality.
After Trail Of Life, Dean was joined on stage by three members of the Brodeo (Jason Barry, Shane Guse, and Scott Galloway) for a dozen songs, some stories, and laughs of the planned and unplanned variety.
The quartet started with Bush Party, Good Goodbye, and Dirt and deftly moved from upbeat songs to slowed down ballads for the rest of the night. And while it was a quieter, less amped up environment than festival shows or the Budweiser Stage, the fans in the intimate setting were still plenty involved. They clapped, cheered, sang, and continued to leave their seats to dance. Brody welcomed it, replied to I Love Yous, and truly embraced the Regent Theatre crowd.
Related: Good Goodbye, Dean Brody & Friends in Toronto
Note: The Dirt Road Stories tour is about Dean Brody being able to connect with fans and share the stories that go with his songs. But we can not let Barry, Guse, and Galloway be overlooked. Each of them played no fewer than two instruments (plus the kazoo), sang background vocals, and were integral to the show.
As a genre, country music lends itself to emotional storytelling. And a stripped-down show offers even more opportunity for songs of that nature to hit home. During Dean Brody's Dirt Road Stories stop in Oshawa, the two most impactful moments (from our point of view) were the performances of Time near the end of the set, and Brothers during the encore.
Brothers was especially powerful on Sunday as we celebrated Remembrance Day in appreciation for all of the men and women that have served our country. We've heard the song performed live many times before, but the added layer of emotion and connection we felt for those five minutes was memorable.
The show ended as upbeat as it had been all night. There was no sullen goodbye to the crowd. It was back-to-back singalong fun with It's Friday and Bring Down The House. Both Platinum singles earned the love and engagement of the sold-out audience. They were fun and a little rowdy and the perfect ending to a special night.
And just like we've seen in bigger venues, on bigger stages, Dean Brody didn't even have to sing the last line of the night. The crowd, loudly and in perfect time, exclaimed the final "Bring Down The House" to end the show.
Dean Brody is one of the biggest names in Canadian country music. He's a hitmaker, award winner, multi-Platinum certified fan favourite. But on Sunday night in Oshawa, as he makes his way across the country, Dean Brody went back to the roots of performing, with a small crowd, a list of songs, and stories he wanted to share.
Dean Brody Setlist, the Regent Theatre Oshawa
♡ Canadian Girls
♡ 8th Day
♡ Sometimes You Step In It
♡ Trail Of Life
♡ Bush Party
♡ Good Goodbye
♡ Girt
♡ Mountain Man
♡ Love Would Be Enough
♡ Another Man's Gold
♡ Dose Of Country
♡ Little Yellow Blanket
♡ Upside Down
♡ Time
♡ Bounty
Encore
♡ Brothers
♡ It's Friday
♡ Bring Down The House
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