"We are in for a long night. There are too many damn songs!" Bryan Adams promised early on during his June 20^th return to the Saddledome, his first arena show in Calgary in 6 years after a series of intimate acoustic gigs at venues like the Jack Singer. Calgary fans showed up in droves, filling the Saddledome to the rafters to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of 1991's smash album Waking Up The Nieghbours.

His promise was accurate, as Adams and his band sang hit after hit after hit – by the mid point of the nearly two and a half hours, songs like Here I Am and Somebody had already been belted out in Adams trademark style. Fans strangely seemed content to mostly sit back in the stands and enjoy the show, but rose to their feet to join in on Summer of 69. Many flashed back to when school dances always featured Everything I Do (I Do It For You) his much maligned by critics mega hit from the Robin Hood: Prince of Theives soundtrack. For some the concert was nostalgic – a revisiting of youth of the 1980's and 1990's. For others it was family bonding, introducing their kids to the safe yet powerful music that has made Adams a superstar. Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that everyone had fun.

The set was minimal – a massive screen beamed the bands image up to the rafters, including a camera on Adam's microphone. The band was dressed in jeans and black shirts. Longtime guitarist Keith Scott, who has recently also been touring with Jann Arden, worked the stage with a frantic energy that is almost as much a part of the Bryan Adams experience as Adams himself. Drummer Mickey Curry had a unique drum solo on pots and pans, and bassist Norm Fisher and keyboardist Gary Breit contributed to filling the dome with sound.

This is the 4^th time I have seen Bryan Adams and out of the many concerts I have been to, he remains one of my favorites. With more than 3 decades under his belt, Adams knows how to give the audience what they want. There wasn't a lengthy set of new songs off a new album, or any bells and whistles. Just Bryan Adams and his music in all it's Canadian rock n' roll glory.