Barstool Prophets crank up the heat at sold out Barrymore’s

It was another busy weekend in Ottawa with big shows happening around the city, and Barstool Prophets was also ready to leave their mark on the city scene with the sold out comeback show at Barrymore’s.

The band started their show with Expedition and Big Game Hunters, and for the first few songs, seemed to be just taking in the jam packed venue full of fans.

As the first half of the set progressed, the front man Graham Greer, guitarist Al Morier and bassist Glenn Forrester all seemed to get more relaxed, and the show went on with minimal chatter in between the songs.

Towards the end of the first set, the band put their own spin on the Tragically Hip cover New Orleans is Sinking along with blinding golden lights and the audience went wild.

For the last song of the first set, Greer tossed the guitar aside to play harmonica for Birdman, which was clearly the audience favorite so far, and got the whole venue singing along.

The band took a twenty minute break before continuing on their second set of the night.

Mankindman started the band’s second set continuing with The Ledge and Running Out, before Greer telling a short story about Robin’s Song, which he wrote at a Kingston venue’s parking lot just before hitting the stage back in the nineties. Greer was visibly enjoying his time on stage again and the crowd was loving it.

After a sentimental Peter Gabriel cover Solsbury Hill, Greer went on to tell the crowd about how he had met Forrester in high school to start what would be Barstool Prophets, and broke into Sunshine So Fine, which got the audience singing on top of their lungs, before continuing straight into one of the band’s biggest hits, Paranoia.

The band returned on stage for an encore first with just Greer and Morier to perform Time Flies, and finished the show with Short and Curlies and Thrusters.

Overall, after a bit of a stiff start to the show, the band completely redeemed themselves, and owned the stage for the rest of the night recreating their biggest hits for their fans, who were loving every moment.

You can see Barstool Prophets again at La Maison Tavern in Cornwall June 9^th and 10^th.

Set 1

1. The Expedition
2. Last of the Big Game Hunters
3. Upside Down
4. Vigilante
5. Dangerous
6. Friend of Mine
7. Scuttle-Monster
8. Get Along
9. New Orleans is Sinking (Tragically Hip cover)
10. Birdman

Set 2

1. Mankind Man
2. The Ledge
3. Running Out
4. Robin’s Song
5. Five Wheel/Highway 9
6. Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel cover)
7. Sunshine So Fine
8. Paranoia
9. Little Death

Encore

1. Time Flies
2. Short & Curlies
3. Thrusters

By Laura Collins.