Glorious Sons cap their S.O.S. tour in front of 8400 devoted fans on Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena stage

The Glorious Sons hit the road for a 14 show headlining tour across Canada, starting in Kamloops, BC and ending up at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

There’s always question of when a “new” band is ready to bring their game up to the majors and play arguably one of Canada’s premier large venues. Would the band’s powerful and infectious vibe that has rocked the roofs off of smaller bars and halls nationwide for the past 7 years be able to fill the cavernous hockey house?  And radiate from the monstrous stage to the back wall.  Well, this past Thursday night in November, we had our answer! Barefooted dynamo frontman Brett Emmons and his band stormed the stage and showed the 8400 devoted fans that they indeed had the goods and would spend the next two hours taking the building down piece by piece.

The 21 song setlist was a full of their top 10 hits as well as deeper cuts, and “Gimme Shelter” from The Rolling Stones thrown in, and it was clear from fan’s reactions that everyone had their own favourites because they never let up, never sat down. Emmons is a frenetic performer, moving constantly from stage left, to stage right, down at the stage barricade and back again. Over and over. Doing that on a stage that’s 3 guitars wide is one thing, pulling it off successfully on the big stage is another thing entirely.  Emmons took the challenge and never let up.  The band is filled to the brim with solid talented artists, who work seamlessly together to bring everything from the power and fury right now to the softest ballad, all while expertly crafted lyrics cut from the real life grittiness of Canadian life are presented in a way that is wonderfully relatable for the fans. The crowd was full of fans of all ages. Older, younger, they all seemed to pull something personal from the set to take as their own. John-Angus Macdonald from The Trews during “Ruby” and Jordan Miller, singer from opening band The Beaches, took the stage to help sing “Come Down”.

Canada is looking for a band to call it’s own, now that we’ve lost The Tragically Hip due to Gord Downie’s untimely death from cancer.  A band that can give our country a voice again. One that we can party with, laugh with and cry with.  A few come to mind, but I think it’s really a toss up between Arkells and The Glorious Sons. And before this S.O.S. tour, Arkells might have had an edge. But The Glorious Sons showed what years of determination and drive can do. Triumphant is one word that came to mind while watching the show full of emotion.  And if they can keep up the pace, they just might be the band we are looking for.   

Setlist:  

White Noise

S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun)

Godless, Graceless and Young

The Union

Mama

My Poor Heart

Josie

So Much Love to Give

My Baby Came Back

Shapeless Art

Sometimes on a Sunday

Heavy

Ruby (With John A. Macdonald from The Trews)

Everything Is Alright 

Encore: 

One Church Town

Gordie

Come Down (with Jordan Miller from The Beaches)

Lighting

Gimme Shelter (The Rolling Stones cover)

Kill The Lights

Amigo

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