If you caught the 2008 Juno Awards, you saw Toronto’s Jully Black steal the show with the broadcast-ending rendition of her hit Seven Day Fool. Black returned to Calgary on May 13th with an intimate, sold out show at the Grand Theatre, and anyone who saw the Juno’s knew they were in for a treat.
Backed up by four talented musicians and two singers, Black marched onto stage looking astounding in a pink dress and got the crowd into the show with Queen, off of her current album, Revival. The show contained many songs from the CD including DJ Play My Song, Temporary Insanity, and Until I Stay. Most of her songs are high-tempo and the energy she brought to the room had the audience clapping and singing along.
She slowed things down with the beautiful Catch Me When I Fall, which she wrote for her sister who died in 1991 at the age of 24 (when Black was 11). The song is absolutely incredible and left many in the audience in tears not only from the lyrical content but the passion in which she delivered the song.
Black is engaging and charming, stating early in the show that as the youngest of 9 children she always had to fight for attention, so she would be talking a lot. She regaled the audience with stories of her childhood as well as experiences working with R&B heavy hitters like Nas, Missy Elliott, Choclair, Kardinal Offishall, Destiny’s Child, and Sean Paul. Although she obviously enjoyed working with them, as she said during the show, it is definitely Jully time now.
One of the advantages of seeing an artist in concert at an intimate venue like the Grand is how close you get to them. She invited two kids wearing her t-shirt on stage for a group hug, high fived members of the audience, and brought a woman from the front row on stage to dance with her. The downside with a theatre however, is that people just don’t seem comfortable with getting up and dancing, despite Black’s music making you want to do just that. It wasn’t until finale Seven Day Fool that the audience finally rose to its feet to dance and clap and sing along the way they should have the entire show. Just like at the Juno’s, this number was fantastic.
After the show, Black signed autographs and took pictures with fans. She may be experiencing a surge of popularity, but she certainly has not forgotten where she came from, and made a point of taking time to speak to everyone individually and spend a few moments with them, making them feel special.
If you didn’t make it to The Grand that night, you are likely kicking yourself that you didn’t or couldn’t see it. If this performance is any indication, Jully Black’s career is about to blossom and this will probably be the last time to see her in a smaller venue. I’m willing to predict that it is only a matter of time before she is once again gracing the Saddledome stage, this time with her own tour.
In the meantime, there is another chance to see her perform at the Calgary Stampede this year on July 11th, and Edmonton’s CapitalEx on July 21st.
www.jullyblack.com
