Want to know the perfect way to kick off autumn? Head to a local venue and listen to some beautiful music from some Canadian singer-songwriters. And, if you can see Dan Mangan’s Going Somewhere tour in support of his 2022 album Being Somewhere, do it and experience some ✨Mangan Magic.✨
The Capital Ballroom was the perfect venue for Vancouver’s Mangan to make his sold-out return to Victoria, and for opener Gabrielle Shonk’s debut in the Garden City.
Shonk arrived solo on stage for her opening set. She was dressed in a suit and got down to business with her acoustic guitar and drum machine (which she referred to as her “duet partner”). She started her set promptly at 8:00 PM (we love a punctual artist), opening with How We Used to Be. On many songs from her 2023 LP Across the Room, she sang of heartbreak and the growth that comes from a relationship crumbling. Songs like Reminds Me of You spoke of being haunted by nostalgia, while People Pleaser was a vibrant and empowered realization of personal behaviours. She ended her set with Habit, a song about a toxic person and their traits from her self-titled 2017 debut, and was offstage by 8:30. Her vocals were as sharp as her attire, and I’d implore anyone who loves Phoebe Bridgers to check out Gabrielle Shonk.
The man of the hour arrived at 9:00 pm sharp. Dan Mangan walked through the crowd and made conversation while making his way to the stage. He became everyone’s best friend and the show had a dreamy intimacy to it, start to finish. He opened with a five-song solo acoustic set, opening with Fool for Waiting and closing with Basket. He had gentle banter with the crowd, and dedicated each song to different people in the audience. The song dedications were done through joining his newsletter (which he writes himself) and texts to his number (which he does reply to). He was genuine in his interactions and won over trust of his fans with his heartfelt, vulnerable lyrics.
As his band joined him on stage for Lynchpin, Mangan split the crowd in two and gave a bit of a choral lesson. The harmonies under his guidance were surprisingly great (I’m tone deaf so I didn’t participate, for everyone’s benefit). After finishing Troubled Mind, he quipped, “This is FUN!” and I believe everyone there agreed. A personal highlight was the emotional In Your Corner where Mangan was joined on vocals by guitarist Mike O’Brien and bassist Jason Haberman. You could hear a pin drop as the three men sang of mental health struggles that was inspired by the passing of Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison. It was a misty-eyed moment for sure.
The atmosphere of the show was top-tier. The audience sang along, shouted out “I love you, Dan!” multiple times, and were respectful when Mangan cruised through the crowd with a tambourine for Robots and for his final two songs of the set. With illuminated instruments and a boom light all lit in a pale blue green, Mangan and his band performed in the middle of the venue with Mangan stood on top of the tech booth’s table. The band played through All My People and So Much For Everyone as the crowd softly sang along. The encore was just two songs: Soapbox was another solo acoustic number and Mangan even polled the audience for the final song, “Peaks & Valleys or Post War Blues?” Post War Blues won by a landslide and left us in a state of wonder and awe. It was truly a once in a lifetime show!
This was my first time seeing Shonk and Mangan live, but it won’t be the last.
