By ROB WILLIAMS

One of the smartest moves Bryan Adams ever made was to write the song 18 Til I Die.

The “I’ll never grow up” anthem gives the 46-year-old Vancouver superstar carte blanche to continue cranking out the hits he wrote in his younger days without coming off as some desperate aging rocker trying to reclaim his glory years.

And Adams looked anything but desperate last night at the MTS Centre.

His biggest hits may be more than a decade behind him, but he still managed to draw 9,500 people to the arena, making the concert his largest local show ever, not counting his rainy 1992 gig at Birds Hill Park.

“That got cut short because the typhoon came in that night, so we’re making up for lost time with lots of music tonight,” he said.

Adams didn’t lie. He’s touring in support of his new greatest hits album Anthology, so it was like listening to a jukebox with no filler as he and his four-piece backing band cranked out more than 20-odd years of hits.

After opening with the title track off his 2004 album Room Service, he got the crowd out of their seats with Somebody off the 1984’s multi -platinum Reckless and This Time from 1983’s Cuts Like a Knife.

From there it was a trip down CanRock lane with 18 Til I Die and Can’t Stop This Thing We Started building up to a slightly reworked version of Summer of ‘69, which he didn’t even need to sing since the crowd belted out every word.

After the anthemic rocker he grabbed an acoustic guitar for the overplayed cringe-inducing ballad (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, stopping the momentum firmly in its tracks.

For Adams, the song was an uber-smash around the world, but also singled the end of his gritty rock phase. Thankfully after the tear-jerker he cranked it up again for the classic Cuts Like a Knife.

Adams has only released three albums in the past 10 years, with few hits to speak of, so most of the strongest material last night was from his ’80s collaborations with Jim Vallance when he was still considered a rock ‘n’ roll guy.

He still looks like one though. Adams may hobnob with British royalty and Hollywood stars like Pamela Anderson, but he still comes across as one of the most unpretentious musicians around. His wardrobe consisted of a simple black T-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers.

At press time almost 90 minutes into his planned two-hour set, Adams had just finished the duet When You’re Gone with a female member of the audience and blazed through an electrifying version of Kids Wanna Rock. According to past set-lists, he was saving Run to You, Straight From the Heart and All for Love for the encore.

Up-and-coming Vernon B.C. native Daniel Powter opened the show with a half-hour set of soulful Elton John-esque keyboard-based pop, given extra weight by his rhythm section who helped give the material a funky touch.

BRYAN ADAMS

Jan. 11 @ MTS Centre.

With Daniel Powter.
(Source: http://www.winnipegsun.com)

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Comment:

1. Janet McNulty Says:
   January 16th, 2006 at 8:55 pm

   Tell Bryan Adams “Congradulations”! Please be in googd health, & stay young.

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