On Thursday February 29th, the coldest day of the week by far after unseasonable highs, I shuffled myself down to Massey Hall for my first Ron Sexsmith show.
I can’t remember when I’d first heard of Ron but I point it to being sometime in my teens, but since then it’s sort of just been one of those names that floats around you. He’s not exactly an artist that you’d find on regular rotation on Canadian radio, but he’s one of those artists that everyone seems to know and have a story about.
A couple years ago I finally took the time to do a deep listen to all of Ron’s albums that I could find and by the end of it all, if I could only say one thing it’s that, “hey, this guy has some great songs.” I’d take to them a few more times and even try my hand at an acoustic cover of Get In Line after watching the live at London’s Bush Hall.
Bit of an aside: I love this performance and Ron’s bit of banter ahead of the song (it’s probably at this point of this review I should say, outside of the records I don’t know much about Ron, but he has been very kind in responding to some of my silly tweets on Twitter over the years), he just really comes across as the type of guy you could get along with – and obviously, it’s a great song and one I could really relate to when I first heard it.
When his most recent album The Vivian Line was released last February, I was beyond ready for it. It’s Ron’s 17th album, which is an incredible feat in and of itself, but it also happens to be the best record of its kind that was released in 2023 if you ask me. Dare I say we have seen a steep decline in the quality of songwriting in modern radio, but Ron’s only gotten better with every song he’s put to paper and seems to have a particular penchant for writing beautiful timeless songs. I could go on about that record, but you should really just listen to it and you’ll know what I’m talking about.
I got to Massey Hall at about 20 to 8 and was shown to my seat which feels remarkably luxurious given that most shows I go to these days are general admission and once you’re scanned, there isn’t much interaction with any venue staff; The usher’s by the way were polite as ever.
I had grabbed a seat in the lower balcony just off to the right of the stage for this one, lucky to have scored the first row and just a couple seats in (I hate having to climb passed people) and it really didn’t feel much farther from the stage than when I’m standing in the second row. Relieved to have a seat after a long day and commute down, I took it and waited for the show to begin.
I scanned the crowd and couldn’t help but notice that outside of a couple girls who seemed to be with their parents, I was among the youngest in attendance; most that I could see anyway were probably about Ron’s age and by the way they were talking, these were die-hards.
One of the women to my right happened to mention how she’s been fortunate to hang with him a few times and she retold some short stories about being at the same party with him. For all that I could overhear, no one had a single bad thing to say about Ron – in fact they almost went out of their way to adamantly praise him.
From the short clips I’d seen online, I had to imagine they were telling the truth. It’s worth noting because anyone who’s worked in music or arts industries knows that the other type, the one’s much more stand-offish or even arrogant, are entirely too common to come by.
On the stage all the instruments were laid out in a long line, with the exception of the drums that sat just a little further back. I wasn’t sure what to expect outside of Ron’s helpful tweet earlier in the day that noted it would just be him and the band for two sets.
This single ticket was turning out to be a real treat for me.
Sometime around 8:15 Ron made his way out onto the stage alone and strapped on his acoustic guitar and before he could even settle himself at the lead microphone, the audience rose swiftly out of their seats and gave him what would be his first standing ovation of the night.
I know that I’m a bit of a sap in recent years, but my eyes welled for that one and as I rose out of my seat also, I really admired the audience for taking the time to do it.
Ron billed the show as “Sexsmith at Sixty“, in part a birthday celebration (though it was in January) and otherwise, I imagine just a special intimate evening with his Toronto fanbase at one of our most historic and sought after theatres. From watching him, I gathered that the immediate response even took him a little by surprise; nonetheless, he acknowledged the crowd with a couple subtle nods of thanks before allowing us all to settle back into our seats and he stepped into his first couple songs of the night beginning with For a Moment.
I think there is always something uniquely special about solo acoustic performances, even if you’ve seen those performances before there’s something so engaging and interesting about watching someone stand alone on a stage and share stories through song. It feels much more intimate than full band shows and whether you’re in the nosebleeds or right up right, there’s a special type of connection that is built within those moments that you just can’t create any other way.
And so I, like the others, was enthralled for this to be the introduction to the night. He played through a couple songs (set list posted at the bottom of this blog) before addressing the audience for the first time.
In the most endearing of ways he let us in on his plan for the night; two sets where the first half would be some more obscure or lesser-talked about songs and the second half with the one’s we’re all a little more familiar with. He had some friends with him to help with the show and whether it was then in the initial speech or later, he half-jokingly explained that he’d like to take his time tonight because he wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to play Massey Hall again.
Take all the time you need, Ron. We’re here for you.
I snickered at that because as I mentioned, having followed Ron on Twitter for a while now I know he has a tendency to be quite upfront and honest about his feelings towards the music industry and he’s been very open with stories from his own career. Most artists shy away from this type of thing for fear of being in some way blacklisted, but it’s really all of what makes Ron so much more special and interesting than other songwriters of a similar caliber. I’m not sure of course what the comment was referencing because I’m not Ron, but he has said the odd time that he doesn’t necessarily always feel like he gets great support from the industry here and has had some better luck in other markets. This isn’t terribly controversial to any of us who have been in the Canadian music industry for a minute and I’d argue we have one of the most uniquely challenging music industries of the world, but that’s a can of snakes for another conversation.
We eased into the rest of the set with the band and I’d be lying if I said I would have been able to follow which album or year Ron was pulling from for the bulk of the night given my own exploration of his work having been taken in in rapid succession one after another, but it flowed flawlessly in and out of each song and a general sense of ease and gratitude filled the theatre.
In brief intervals, Ron would take to sharing about the songs which was a major highlight for me. My personal favourite anecdote fell just ahead of Man at the Gate which Ron explained was inspired by a photograph of a man outside the gates in Trinity Bellwoods (he used to live in the neighbourhood, in case you didn’t know!). In viewing the photograph he’d remarked how you couldn’t tell if the man was coming or going and he imagined perhaps the man could be an image of himself from a former life, some 100 years earlier. That’s the kind of casual curiosity Ron is able to capture in song in a way that inspires others to reflect both inward and out and is a great reflection of how a simple fleeting thought can grow into something so much more than it began.
Ever the gentleman, Ron was sure to introduce the band in full and as we entered the second set, his first of a couple guests but not before taking to the piano to perform Tomorrow in Her Eyes for a couple who were celebrating their 10th anniversary. Another unique moment of this show which had quickly felt it had become more than just a celebration of Ron, but rather all those who where in attendance, too. The sense of ease that had filtered through the theatre earlier was now fondly embracing the audience in the warmth of its light and as I marvelled at the show, I felt very lucky to be where I was in that moment to witness it.
In sharing a couple more small anecdotes about his own work, Ron explained that some of his songs that he was about to play had been covered by other notable acts like Rod Stewart and fellow Canadian Leslie Feist, a great testament to his songwriting and ability to transcend generations.
Juno-nominated Lori Cullen delivered a beautiful performance of both Foolproof and Heavenly and was certainly a highlight of the evening.
Later in the set, Ron would being more guests to join him on stage including his wife Colleen. Between the guest features and the great song selection, I felt more like I was at a special event for family and friends than a solo-travelling outlier at a typical concert. In small bouts of silence, other audience members who seemed to share my feelings felt so comfortable as to shout to Ron from their seats, a couple happy birthday’s and other comments I couldn’t always quite make out but made their way to Ron’s ears just fine. And though he tried to brush it off (perhaps due to the absence of cake), the crowd erupted in song to sing Happy Birthday to Ron; a funny exchange of roles in a space where had there not been a raised stage, we would all appear to be on equal ground.
The longer the set ran, I couldn’t help but notice myself sinking deeper into my seat, almost overwhelmingly relaxed by the calm nature of Ron’s music and the polite interactions between him, the band and the audience.
As someone who generally lives with a ball of anxiety within my body, it was a sense of peace that was almost alarming to me. It seemed to say: Nothing is wrong and everyone is right where they should be.
Ron has a very funny way of remarking about things in an almost jovial way even when you can sense that is comes from a place of concern or reservation. As he prepared for the end of the set he said something to the effect of, “I know that it has been a difficult few years but I hope tonight has brought some comfort,” and as the crowd rose once again for a standing ovation almost demanding the encore that would follow, I think it’s quite safe to say it did.
As I left Massey Hall to scurry back to the subway for my trip home, I thought it would be an absolute pity if Ron were never to play that stage again.
I’m not sure what other Ron Sexsmith shows are like but I left feeling like this one in particular was such a uniquely special experience that will never happen again in quite a way and I’m very thankful that I was able to be there to share in it.
I managed to snag a couple photos from my seat, you can view them on my Instagram page.
If you happen to have been at the show and were better than I at remembering all of the guest features, please let me know in the comments!
Setlist:
Set 1:
For a Moment
Wastin’ Time
Tell You
Nowhere Is
Hard Bargain
Before the Light Is Gone
Thinking Out Loud
Lebanon, Tennessee
This Song
What I Had In Mind
You Don’t Wanna Hear It
Man at the Gate (1913)
When Our Love Was New
In a Flash
Set 2:
Tomorrow in Her Eyes (Last minute request for couple’s 10th anniversary)
Gold In Them Hills
Foolproof (Sung by Lori Cullen)
Heavenly (Sung by Lori Cullen)
Speaking with the Angel
Strawberry Blonde
Whatever It Takes
All in Good Time
Secret Heart
Get in Line
Brandy Alexander
Deepens With Time
Former Glory
Beautiful View
(Encore)
Trains
Not About to Lose
Crooked Forest 