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With jokes, heartaches and new dance moves, Jann Arden rocked her London Fann Base at the John Labatt Centre last night.
"We're here for you. We have all new choreography for you this year," the Calgary singer-songwriter told her Fanns -- the official Arden term -- in the first quip of the night.
"We do this every single year . . . it's so fresh."
Arden was playing the centre's RBC Theatre format last night before a crowd of 3,800 fans who cheered her entrance.
Ninety minutes later, everybody was up and cheering as the main set ended with an impassioned and beautiful Good Mother. There was some fine singing from the audience on the tune before Arden and her excellent band returned for an unplugged encore.
"My job is to write songs that will make you feel better about your own personal lives," she joked mid-set. "You're going to say 'My life is not as bad as hers.' "
Not as funny, either. In addition to a stream of quips about her mother wondering if songs on her new self-titled CD were "peppier," there was a brilliant standup routine. It took Arden home from a movie at top speed, involving popcorn, washrooms, her beloved cats. It was hilarious.
There was new arrangements of Arden classics, including a version of Could I Be Your Girl that found its way into reggae land. The Jamaican beat was a cue for Arden quips about marijuana.
There was lovely Unloved with opener Bob Kemmis joining Arden.
Her choreography was tailored for her jeans-and-jacket look and allowed her a stroll to the drum set to thrash on one of the cymbals as her second song, All of This, wound down. The song is from her latest album and rocks harder than some of earlier work.
The Fanns were happy to hear All of This, but the first big cheer after Arden's entrance was for another early set item, Will You Remember Me.
The Fanns also took to Arden guitarist Graham Powell who had his chance to upstage the star with an old Joe Jackson tune. Arden immediately took charge by noting her mother would say the Fanns seemed to like the guitarist better than her Jann.
She even risked being upstaged by her manager's darling baby boy. The little lad was on Arden's knee for the start of the encore. She expressed a strong interest in a child of her own, but lamented that she didn't have any sperm at the moment.
That sounds like the beginnings of a classic Arden routine or song or both.
Added recently to the London date was the Toronto songwriter duo Dala, comprised of Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther. Dala's debut album, Angels & Thieves, was just released by Universal Music Canada/Big Bold Sun. The Big Bold Sun label was founded by Mike Roth, a former senior VP at Sony Music Canada (which since has merged with BMG). Roth has played a big role in many Canadian stars' careers.
Kemmis, who had just 20 minutes as the opener, was funny and charming even in bit of a mock-karaoke -- but is there any other kind?
Another big Canadian act is soon to be announced for the downtown London arena. Concert industry website Pollstar say Great Big Sea will play the centre on March 15. "I have not yet seen a confirmation sheet for that date," the centre's marketing director Dave Harris said yesterday.