I was lucky to get in to see Ray and the Pariah Dogs as it was sold-out and nobody looked to be selling any tickets. It seemed to be the most coveted concert of the summer in Calgary because the place was packed and people had no seats to spare. Fortunately, at the last minute, a couple had an extra ticket for sale, which turned out to be my golden ticket. It was dead-center orchestra about 12 rows back; hallelujah, it was amazing! I had missed the opening act, but it wasn’t Brandi Carlile, who had started some of the shows on the tour. It was someone else. But it didn’t really matter, the crowd was rowdy and geared for Ray. He and the Dogs didn’t disappoint; they blew the lid off the intimate concert hall with a soulful, heartfelt performance of many of his classics. He said a few thank-yous during the show but otherwise kept pretty quiet, in typical Ray-style. He let the songs speak for themselves, which they did wondrously and clear. Below is the setlist from last night’s show. My favorites were: For the Summer, Jolene, and Shelter, though it’s hard to really pick from such a great set. Keep playing the tunes!
Burn
For the Summer
Beg Steal or Borrow
Hold You in My Arms
Repo Man
Achin’ All the Time
Blue Canadian Rockies (cover)
Shelter
Devil’s in the Jukebox
Are We Really Through
New York City’s Killing Me
God Willin’ & the Creek Dont Rise
(Unknown song)
Trouble
Old Before Your Time
Jolene
Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s a Shame)
Like Rock & Roll and Radio
