Johnny Reid Fire's It Up in Kelowna

Canadian singer Johnny Reid brought his Fire It Up tour to Kelowna’s Prospera Place on Friday night to an audience of over 4000 of his ardent fans. From the opening curtain drop until the end of the night, Reid gave 110% of everything he had to give on a night when it appeared that he wasn’t feeling 100%

Reid has a voice, of that there is no doubt. He delivered the power ballads with power and the more nuanced tunes with sensitivity and heart. Opening the show with “Let’s Have A Party”, he literally exploded from behind the falling curtain and leapt into both the moment and the collective euphoria of the crowd. All eyes were on him, and he was on fire.

Over the course of the evening, Reid wound his way through a well paced set list that included many of his biggest hits including “Let’s Have A Party,” “Kicking Stones,” “A Woman Like You,” “Fire It Up,” “Change The World” and “Let’s Go Higher.” He worked every inch of the main stage and runway, as well as a satellite stage out near the back of the floor and even took an early tour around the floor and up into the concert bowl seats, involving the audience at every opportunity.

Reid’s band played energetically and flawlessly behind him. Clearly both sure of himself as well as grateful for what his band brings to it for him every night, he not only gave solos to players throughout the concert, but went the extra distance and brought them out to center stage and even out on the runway and gave them the complete spotlight while they were doing their individual things. Whether it was his guitarists standing side by side and leaning into it, sax players down from their risers and center stage trading lines, or his background vocalists working the entire runway and belting it out, they were each given their time and their due.

For this reviewer, the only down side to the evening was an excess of light over the audience. It was simply a little too bright out in the crowd, enough so that your eye was easily distracted from the stage, and that seemed a shame given the quality of the performance and the heart and soul that Reid and his band mates put into the evening.

This was a very, very good performance from an artist who is passionate about his music, his career and his fans. Reid left nothing in the tank while leaving the stage with his fans stoked about the concert they had just seen and the connection they were allowed with the man they came out in droves to see. His tour continues across BC and Alberta over the coming weeks.