Michel Rivard invites the audience to walk “around the block” with him on his new tour. The prolific songwriter walks “in the ruts of time” of his 50-year career, accompanied by 12 musicians and singers. And it is with great joy that we embark on this journey.
• Also read: “We wanted to pay the bill”: Michel Rivard celebrates 50 years of songs in a new tour
“You have an authentic elder before you tonight,” Rivard introduced to the generous audience at the Théâtre Maisonneuve on Friday night during his media premiere. The musician, who displayed a great deal of humor on stage, was far from indicting his 71 years, which delivered a show of more than 2:30 with an intermission.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
Rivard was at his best flexing his guitar in the company of the “Flybin Big Band”: his longtime collaborators Rick Haworth, Mario Légaré and Sylvain Clavette, accompanied by five other musicians and three vocalists.
Directed by Frédéric Blanchette, this new tour of the track aimed to stroll through the author-composer’s five decades of music. There were many titles from his solo career, but of course also some Beau Dommage hits. We had a good idea during the concert to write down the titles of the songs, the album and the year it was released for each track.
From last to first
Michel Rivard first entered the stage alone on the guitar. He sang his last song, Le tour du bloc. “The sun that set tonight before you arrived is exactly the same as it rose 65 years ago when I did my first lap on the boulder block. »
He then moved on to the very first song he wrote of his career, Motel “Mon repos,” which ended up on Beau Dommage’s second album, Where’s the Wedding? in 1975.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
When not in service, the songwriter then wandered through his rich repertoire. “I didn’t make the selection and the order of the songs for tonight, it was an algorithm,” he said, instantly making the audience laugh.
A hole in the clouds
Several of his solo successes passed there, including that of his acclaimed 1987 album, A hole in the clouds (the title track, Liberate the Treasure, I would like to see the Sea, The Private). It was quite impressive to see how these songs have not aged and still sound like.
Fans of Beau Dommage didn’t miss out with interpretations of Rive-Sud, La lamente du phoque en Alaska, Tout simples jaloux, Ginette and Le blues d’la métropole. These last two got the party going at the Théâtre Maisonneuve.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/QMI AGENCY
Michel Rivard has interspersed several of these plays with various, often hilarious, personal stories that show us just how excellent his talent as a storyteller has always been. “I want to thank you for being here, not just tonight, but for 50 years,” he told the crowd at the end of the class.
Don’t miss your chance to see one of our Quebec legends on stage at this excellent concert that pleasantly takes us on a journey through several eras.
√ Michel Rivard will be back at the Théâtre Maisonneuve tonight. He also returns there on June 13th. She will also perform at the Grand Théâtre de Québec on March 4th.