Ron Sexsmith. Teatro Lara, Madrid. Spain. Concert Review

 Text & Photography: Mar de Miguel Bonet

Last Thursday we had the opportunity to attend the performance of an artist of artists, Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith. Opening the gig, London actor and musician based in Nashville, Tennessee, Sam Palladio.

Sam Palladio had a  brilliant performance. His music is as sweet and comforting as Ron Sexsmith one, and his voice sounds beatiful, with the same colour as Phil Collins' voice, but perhaps with more shades. Hopefully he visit us again and we can attend a full gig.

Sexsmith gigs, whose music has inspired a big variety of compossers and singers, are often attended as a master class by other artists. On this occasion, we find, among our local audience, members of other bands as Los Secretos, Pancho Varona, Javier Vacas of Los Coronas, or the singer-songwriter Virginia Labuat, to name a few.

Ron Sexsmith is so admired  that it is easy to find numerous covers of his songs performed by other famous artists. Elvis Costello, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Steve Earle, Sheryl Crow, Rod Stewart, Feist, Nick Lowe, Michael Bublé or Chris Martin of Coldplay, have covered Sexsmith’s music or collaborated with him.

This was not the first time for me to enjoy a performance by Ron Sexsmith. In 2011, Madrid Music festival “Dia De La Música” hosted already this talented musician, and following the recommendations of our co-founder Rebjukebox, I sat on the floor, at the first row to listen to Ron Sexsmith very close. 

Last week Reb and me, we had the chance to attended this concert in Madrid at Teatro Lara, enjoying our favourite music together for the first time. A gorgeous performance with amazing songs as "Gold in Them Hills ", "Get In The Line", "Whatever It Takes", that I specially enjoyed, or the sweet "Secret Heart", that melted the audience. An absolutely great concert that we will keep in our memories for years.

Watch the lyric video of his last single “Can't Get My Act Together”, taken from his fourteenth studio album, “Carousel One” (Compass Records, March 31st 2015).