Michel Rivard invites the public to go “around the block” with him on his new tour. The prolific songwriter walks “in the furrows of time” of his 50-year career, in the company of 12 musicians and singers. And we embark on this journey with great pleasure.
• Read also: “We wanted to pay the bill”: Michel Rivard will celebrate 50 years of songs in a new tour
“You have in front of you this evening an authentic elder,” launched Rivard to the generous audience of the Théâtre Maisonneuve, Friday evening during his media premiere. Showing a lot of humor on stage, the musician was far from accusing his 71 years, he who delivered a show of more than 2:30, with an intermission.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
Rivard was in top form, handling the guitar in the company of the “Flybin Big Band”: his longtime acolytes, Rick Haworth, Mario Légaré and Sylvain Clavette, accompanied by five other musicians and three singers.
Directed by Frédéric Blanchette, this new tour of the track aimed to stroll through the five decades of music by the author-composer. There have been many titles from his solo career, but also of course some Beau Dommage hits. We had the good idea to write the titles of the songs, album and year of release for each piece, during the concert.
From last to first
It was first alone on the guitar that Michel Rivard took to the stage. He sang his newest song, The turn of the block. “The sun that set tonight before you arrived is exactly the same that rose 65 years ago, when I did my first lap of the bouldering block. »
He then continued with his very first song written in his career: Motel “My rest”which ended up on Beau Dommage’s second album, in 1975, Where did the wedding go?.
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Out of order, the songwriter then wandered through his prolific repertoire. “It was not me who made the choice and the order of the songs for tonight, it was an algorithm,” he said, immediately causing the audience to laugh.
A hole in the clouds
Many of his solo hits have passed through it, including those from his acclaimed 1987 album, A hole in the clouds (the title piece, Free the treasure, I would like to see the sea, The private). It was quite impressive to see how these songs have not aged and still listen as well.
Beau Dommage enthusiasts were not left out with the interpretations of South Shore, The Seal’s Lament in Alaska, Simply Jealous, Ginette and The blues of the metropolis. These last two got the party started at the Théâtre Maisonneuve.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
Michel Rivard has interspersed several of these pieces with different, often comical, personal stories, showing us how excellent his talent as a storyteller has always been. “I want to thank you for being here, not just tonight, but for 50 years,” he told the crowd at the end of the course.
Don’t miss your chance to see one of our Quebec legends on stage in this excellent concert that pleasantly takes us on a journey through several eras.
- Michel Rivard will be at the Théâtre Maisonneuve again tonight. He will return there in addition on June 13. Also performing on March 4 at the Grand Théâtre de Québec.