The final concert of Winnipeg's annual Red River Exhibition took place on a beautiful Summer evening with the music being provided by none other than the Canadian reggae fusion band MAGIC! The Toronto, Ontario band was joined by the rising Canadian talent of Mathew V, who resides out of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Photos by Samuel Stevens Photography.
Mathew V began the evening off with an impressive set of approximately forty minutes at the Red River Ex to warm up the crowd for MAGIC! Mathew's set featured many originals from his recently released ten-track debut album, The Fifth, with such songs as the emotionally driven "Let Me Go," and his current single, "Tell Me Smooth." He also performed a cover of Britney Spears’ 1998 hit single, "…Baby One More Time" and a cover of Mariah Carey’s 1995 hit song, "Always Be My Baby." This was Mathew V’s first time in Winnipeg, and it sure seemed like it left many in the audience leaving as brand new fans of his, and hopefully, Winnipeg has graced with the presence of Mathew V once again soon.
Photos by Samuel Stevens Photography.
The next act up to the stage was MAGIC! who are known for their signature sound fusing the two genres of pop and reggae. Also known as reggae fusion. Although the band has been together for approximately seven years, this was the first-ever performance by the band in Winnipeg. It was mentioned by vocalist Nasri, after the show while meeting with fans, that this was the band’s first concert in approximately six months and features a whole new set than what they’ve played in the past. The band delivered an impressive fifteen-song set, opening up with their massively popular 2013 hit song, "Rude" off their debut album, Don’t Kill the Magic. Then making their way into their second album, Primary Colours’ lead single, "Lay You Down Easy." The band's performance also included a drum solo by drummer Alex Tanas in the middle of the set. Shortly after MAGIC! played a reggae rendition of Drake's 2016 hit, "Hotline Bling." The band closed off their strong performance with an even stronger end, starting with the live debut performance of their brand new single, "Kiss Me," which will be featured on their forthcoming album. Proceeded by the title track off of the band's album, Don’t Kill the Magic, and ending the set off beautifully with a cover of The Beatles’ 1969 song "Come Together." Which is the opening track of The Beatles' now famously known album, Abbey Road. As previously mentioned above, the band released a new brand single, "Kiss Me," earlier this month on June 8, and the song's live debut happened in Winnipeg. With new singles releasing means a new album is on its way very soon. During the band's performance vocalist, Nasri announced that the band will be back in Winnipeg again this fall on their first-ever Canadian headline tour. At the moment, not many details are known about this upcoming tour, so make sure to look out for these tour dates in the coming weeks. An announcement for the band's third full-length album, which should be out late this summer or in the fall, should be coming sometime soon as well.