Review and photos by Hannah Rennie

On November 29, Canadian pop singer-songwriter Scott Helman returned to Edmonton to play at the Starlite Room. Born and raised in Toronto, Scott moved to Los Angeles in 2022, but came back to Canada for this seven-stop tour. Scott has toured Canada previously, most notably in 2018 when he headlined for Vance Joy’s Nation of Two tour, which is where I first got introduced to him. Ever since then I have been waiting for a chance to see Scott Helman again, and I was so excited to hear that he was coming back to Edmonton!

I first heard about the show over the radio, and within five minutes I had procured two tickets for my sister Isabel and myself. The tickets were only $40 each, which is one of the great advantages of seeing an artist at a smaller venue—the same tickets would have surely been over $100 if we saw him at a large auditorium like Rogers Place.

The night of the show Isabel and I met up at the LRT station, both wearing our Converse sneakers, of course (Helman is known for wearing Converse when he performs and even has a song called ‘chuck taylors‘). The Starlite Room was easy enough to find once we got off the LRT at Bay Enterprise Station, although the entrance was a bit peculiar, as you enter the venue through a narrow alleyway lit with dim lights. If it weren’t for the sign overhead, I would have wondered whether we were even in the right place.

Once we made our way inside, we checked our coats (coat check is $3, cash only), bought our drinks, and took a peek at the merchandise table. We arrived shortly after the doors opened at 7, so we had plenty of time to kill before Sofia Camara opened at 8, but that gave us a chance to find a good spot. The Starlite Room is general admission only, so coming early means you can find a great place to stand and watch the show. We chatted until Sofia came onstage, cheered along with the crowd as she performed a short set of songs, both originals and covers, and then waited some more until Scott came on at 9.

The moment Scott Helman stepped onstage, the energy in the room exploded, and Isabel and I were screaming along with the rest of the fans. He immediately started with one of his most upbeat and popular songs, ‘Sweet Tooth’, which everyone knew and sang along to. Isabel and I were in the fourth or fifth row, close enough that we could feel the drum beat pulsing through our bodies.

Soon after were two of my favourite songs, PDA and ‘Kinda Complicated‘. These songs took me right back to summertime in high school, when my best friend and I would drive aimlessly down the country backroads with the windows down and sing along as loud as we could.

Next, Helman transitioned into some of his more mellow songs, including ‘Machine‘ and ‘Ripple Effect‘. For the latter, the band left the stage, leaving just Helman and his ukelele, which was plastered with stickers. This song was softer than the other opening ones, and the crowd settled down to listen better. Having the stage to himself created such an intimate atmosphere, and soon people were pulling out their phone flashlights and swaying back and forth.

The set went on for a little over an hour, and ended with a short encore. During this period, Helman talked a bit about his new fiancée, and how many songs he wrote about her. He explained that the song ‘Cry Cry Cry’ was about the time they broke up, and was an anthem about moving on: “you’re no longer here, but I don’t cry, cry, cry”. However, he stopped halfway through playing the song and broke into laughter, confessing to us that he could not, in fact, stop crying during their time apart. The interruption was adorable, genuine, and very on-brand for Scott Helman, who is very open about having ADHD and often goes on tangents. Then for his final song, he played one last crowd favourite, ‘Bungalow’.

By the time the concert was done and the lights came back on, Isabel and I were still buzzing with excitement from the performance. We joined the merchandise line—I got a sweatshirt, and Isabel picked out a t-shirt—then got swept up in the crowd as we left the Starlite Room. Isabel and I talked about the show the whole way home, comparing photos and favourite songs, and generally raving about the show. I loved the intimacy of the venue, and the way it brought out Helman’s personality as he interacted with the crowd, tossing us guitar picks, reaching out to high-five his fans, and telling us the stories behind his songs. It was by far the best performance of his I’ve seen, but certainly not the last. Until next time, Scott Helman.

Scott Helman on tour
November 29, 2020
The Starlight Room
10030 102 St NW, Edmonton
website
(780) 428-1099