SPILL LIVE REVIEW: MYLES KENNEDY W/TIM MONTANA & SONS OF SILVER @ THE CONCERT HALL, TORONTO

MYLES KENNEDY W/TIM MONTANA & SONS OF SILVER

@ THE CONCERT HALL, TORONTO

JANUARY 22, 2025

Four shows deep into the North American leg of The Art Of Letting Go Tour, Myles Kennedy, along with openers Tim Montana and Sons Of Silver, took to The Concert Hall for the sole Canadian date on their tour. In addition to celebrating the release of his third solo album, the spectacular The Art Of Letting Go, released on October 11, 2024. this performance marked Kennedy’s first ever solo performance in Toronto.

Taking the stage to a packed room, Kennedy and his band commenced what would become a near two-hour performance. The band consisted of a drummer and a bassist who on occasion would also play the mellotron. Despite its size, the power trio sounded massive. While the mellotron certainly helped to cut out any dead air, I attribute most of this to Kennedy himself who took on an impressively challenging role as both the rhythm and lead guitarist. At any given moment, he would effortlessly shift between these two dynamics, taking on the role of what very well could have been two guitarists, all while belting his signature melodies. Without a doubt, Kennedy remains one of, if not the greatest voice in modern rock. Through sheer musicality, all without much movement, Kennedy’s presence centre stage was incredibly commanding as he led his band through a formidable set.

From the opening notes of “The Art Of Letting Go”, Kennedy and his band were in fine form. Performing over half of his newest record, their Toronto set featured an array of works from Kennedy’s trio of solo albums. Impressively, much of the new material proved to be highlights among their performance, especially “Nothing More To Gain” and the explosive closer, “Say What You Will”, demonstrating the strength of The Art Of Letting Go. His performance demonstrated a willingness to rework and adapt his catalogue for the context of the power trio, with “Year Of The Tiger”, “Haunted By Design”, “Love Can Only Heal” from 2018’s Year Of The Tiger, a primarily solo acoustic record, and fit with the band expertly. Furthermore, Kennedy performed a number of tracks from The Ides Of March (“In Stride”, “Get Along”) and even dusted off The Mayfield Four’s “Mars Hotel” on just an acoustic guitar, while, at another point, performing a verse of “The Lemon Song”, a nod to the storied history of The Concert Hall as the first Canadian venue to host Led Zeppelin. Among a stacked setlist, the true highlight of the night was when Kennedy extended solo sections throughout their performance. While this happened on multiple occasions, none were as prolific as “Behind The Veil” where Kennedy stretched out a solo clocking in over five minutes. This was a masterful display of technique, taste, and tone, making for a jaw dropping moment in the middle of their set.

With Kennedy fulfilling the role of three musicians – rhythm guitar, lead guitar, and lead vocals – he demonstrates his ability as one of the most impressive and criminally-underrated forces in rock. As demonstrated at The Concert Hall, Kennedy remains a cut above most, and The Art Of Letting Go Tour marks a pivotal step within his artistry as he reinvents all iterations of his solo career. Ultimately, through breathing new life into these very contrasting eras, Kennedy demonstrates the strength of his voice as both a songwriter and performer on stage every night.

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