I should probably preface this by saying I am a huge fan of Hedley. I have been for a long time.
When I found out they were coming back to the CN Centre in Prince George after almost two years, I jumped at the opportunity to go.
Hedley took the stage a bit after 9 p.m. Monday night, getting the audience pumped with a video in keeping with the Shipwrecked theme of the tour.
The video showed the band getting into a rowboat heading into a storm and later washing ashore.
The audience of more than 3,000 fans, mostly teenage girls, screamed with their first glimpse of lead singer, Jacob Hoggard, as he took the stage clad in what looked like leather pants and a leather jacket.
The rock/pop group, warmed the crowd up with a medley of songs from their self-titled first album, including 321, On My Own and Streetfight as well as She’s So Sorry from their second album, Famous Last Words.
Although the stage was more simple this time around, Hedley still included an impressive light show, mostly strobe lights and storm sound effects to complete the shipwrecked theme, which sometimes almost drowned Hoggard out.
Hoggard showed off not only his vocal skills, but also his musical talent strumming a guitar as well as playing a red piano with passion.
Hedley kept things interesting by changing the pace of their show with an acoustic set dressed in yellow rain suits and sitting in a row boat.
Hoggard and guitarist (and Prince George native) Dave Rosin plucked acoustic guitars while drummer Chris Crippin played a bongo drum and bassist Tommy Mac accompanied them with his bass guitar.
Hedley showed their diversity, playing rock songs as well as love ballads such as Heaven’s Gonna Wait from their newest album, Storms and playing an acoustic, stripped-down version of Invincible, during which they showed fans holding up the lyrics on two screens.
Hedley kept the crowd very involved throughout the show, using a shirt cannon to propel shirts into the sea of fans and sending out beach balls during the decidedly beachy sounding Never Too Late.
The Juno-nominated group had most of the young ladies (and some accompanying moms) singing along to hit songs Don’t Talk To Strangers and Old School, during which a slideshow of pictures of the band scrolled through various ages on two big screens.
Opening acts, Kay, Karl Wolf and Classified warmed the stage for Hedley.
Wolf performed his biggest hits, Ghetto Love, Yalla Habibi (which he told the crowd means let’s go my love in his native Lebanese), as well as his newest single Mash It Up.
Maritime-native Classified showed Prince George what they were missing, as this was his first time performing in PG.
The Canadian rapper pumped up the crowd with his brand of hip hop, playing Day Doesn’t Die, Oh...Canada and Anybody Listenin’.
The next concert at the CN Centre is Friday, Feb. 17, where Dierks Bentley will be taking the stage. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.