City and Colour
Date: October 13th, 2021
Venue: Warner Theatre
Washington, DC
What’s up, everyone! Derek here, a.k.a. The Photographic Ginger and I’m back again with another incredible night of music in our nation’s capital. This evening I found myself at the historical and beautiful Warner Theatre. Located just a couple blocks from the White House, it’s hosted legendary musicians since its opening in 1924 and on this night the stage was set for even more memorable music.
Getting the evening started was an artist who I’ve been blown away by in recent months and was thrilled when I learned that she was jumping on this tour for a couple of weeks. Katie Pruitt is a singer/songwriter from Nashville who grew up gay in Georgia, whose stories and experiences came to life in her debut album Expectations in 2019. She immediately captured the attention of the audience as she stood alone on stage with just her guitar and began to sing about a toxic relationship from college with “Grace Has a Gun.” Her voice immediately demands your attention as it fills the room with a raw, soulful elegance.
She then went on to tell about her time in which she felt like an outsider growing up gay while in Catholic school with “Normal.” She then went on to sing a personal favorite of mine with “My Mind’s a Ship (That’s Goin Down)” before introducing us to a brand new and unreleased song titled “Blood Related,” a song that draws inspiration from not always seeing eye to eye with your parents. In closing, she reminded us that though her parents now accept her for who she is, it was the “conversations, patience, and time” that got them to where they are now. Fittingly, she then performed a song written for her girlfriend, which she later discovered was also about loving her own self titled “Loving Her.” It gave me chills and I can’t wait for the chance to see her perform live again soon. It seemed the audience agreed with me as they gave a standing ovation as she finished her set.
The stage was then cleared for the main event. As Dallas Green, better known as City and Colour, took to the stage the room began to roar. Coming out strong with hits like “Forgive Me” and “Silver and Gold,” was an immediate reminder of why live music is so important. There’s nothing like being in a room with clear, other-worldly, and melodic vocals accompanying a stripped-down set that transports you into the stories being told for an hour and a half. That’s exactly how I would describe this evening.
Throughout the night he took us on a journey throughout his musical archive, with songs going back to the beginning of his solo career such as the “incredibly old” “In the Water I Am Beautiful,” as well as a song he hadn’t sung in eight years like “Harder Than Stone,” the latter being one that a fan just so happened to yell out right before he began to play it. He then reminded us that “we’re all f*cked” and that we should all be a little kinder to one another as the song “We Found Each Other in the Dark” is based around, a beautiful song accompanied by Matthew Kelly on the pedal steel.
As the night continued, we learned about how an international phone call via payphone led to an argument that inspired the song “Coming Home.” He even gave us a little love song that you very well may know, known as “The Girl.” He then went on to sing an unbelievable version of Alice In Chain’s “Rain When I Die” as this rock song traditionally filled with energetic rock riffs was transformed into a purely acoustic magical moment.
He then returned to the stage for a four-song encore featuring songs like “Two Coins” and “Lover Come Back” as the audience began to sway along. He then performed “Sleeping Sickness” before saying goodnight to DC.
This evening of incredible music in its purest form is making its way across the US before traveling back to Canada for the remainder of the year. Check out the tour dates and see if there’s a stop nearby and grab your tickets here. You can also catch Katie Pruitt as she sets out on her headlining tour later this year by clicking here.
If you happened to capture any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see.
