Ah Bryan Adams.  Bryan Adams, you are soooo cool.  And somehow surprisingly sophisticated, suave, debonair… It might be the waistcoat and suit jacket.  Rocker rockin’ the business attire.   Well, not really surprising, because, Bryan Adams, you are one classy dude.

It was so lovely to see you rock out the Ultimate Tour at Rogers Place in Edmonton the other day (well, June 8… its taking me awhile to process the awesome…) Lovely. Rockin.  Wicked. Super cool.

And the music. Oh Bryan Adams.  Thank you for the music.  I grew up with you on the radio and Much Music.  Run to You, Summer of 69, 18 Till I Die.  You were/ARE the epitome of Rock God.  And Canadian.  In a world of American music dominating the radio waves, you gave us a Canadian identity.  Someone to belong to us first, and then the world.   You are, without a doubt one of my all-time favourite Canadian Rock Gods (I even have a list, see?)

You gave us the classics.  You gave us some jazz.  Rockabilly.  You gave it all.  And the love songs… We’ll never forget the love songs.  You sing things that make us believe in romance…. Everything I do, Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman… Just, sigh….

Rogers Place on June 8 was not my first time seeing you live.  I was very fortunate to see you and a handful of other Canadian rock royalty at a benefit concert in Vancouver some years ago (2002) and you were phenomenal then too.  And so entertaining.  That concert made me swear I would always go see you play live when possible.  Life took me in different directions  and I have only just now fulfilled that declaration.

You are worth the wait.  I come from the U2 world of concerts – big stage, big screen, big technology, big lights. big show. And I love it.  I bask in it.  It completes me.  But sometimes a girl just wants a stripped down thing of beauty.  Her Rock God(s), a stage, and a screen. This tour was worth the wait. (Also, that screen was gorgeous – the visuals, so awesome. This was, indeed, the Ultimate Tour.

And I remake that same declaration: If you tour, I will come.

So thank you.  Thank you for an evening to remember.  Thank you for the music.  Thank  you for the stories of how an Edmonton gig helped launch you. And for all the stories.  Not just a singer, a showman, you are a Storyteller.

Also, thank you for stopping to take a selfie with these twins.  You made their night 🙂

Thank you for loving Edmonton and seeming like you didn’t want to leave the stage at the end of the night…. We certainly didn’t want you to leave either. You could have stayed all night.

Please come back.

(And for even more photos, go here!)

The Setlist:

Ultimate Love
Can’t Stop This Thing We Started
Run to You
Go Down Rockin’
Heaven
This Time
It’s Only Love
Please Stay
Cloud #9
You Belong to Me
Summer of ’69
Here I Am
When You’re Gone (solo acoustic)
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Back to You
Somebody
Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?
The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You
Cuts Like a Knife
18 til I Die
I’m Ready
Brand New Day

Encore:
I Could Get Used to This
I Fought the Law (The Crickets cover)
Whiskey in the Jar ([traditional] cover) (solo acoustic)
Straight From the Heart (solo acoustic)
All for Love (solo acoustic)
Alberta Bound (acoustic with piano)