Conner Smith Melts Montreal’s Frozen Heart at Théâtre Beanfield [Photos]

The old running joke was that Country music was pretty much music based on loss. I lost my job, I lost my car, I lost my home, I lost my girl, I even lost my dog. Sounds like a Country song. I have my own personal Country loss experience to add to the list, I lost my lens.

The Théâtre Beanfield this past Saturday night hosted an evening of Country Music with a couple of young and rising stars on the menu. Conner Smith was in town for the final show of his “The Storyteller” tour. At only 24, he had a heck of a good year. A new album, Smokey Mountains was released in January, and he finished up the year with a new EP, The Storyteller and a headlining tour to go along with the release. The final show of that tour took place in Montreal, where a warm and welcoming crowd opened their arms wide to shelter a young Nashville singer from the cold of an early December night.

The show got off with a solo set from Zach John King. Alone on the stage with just his guitar, Zach John King laid bare his music and his soul. Despite the opening joke, the best Country songs, or any songs for that matter, are the ones that come from the heart. Zach John King’s songs are full of heart as he sings about past life experiences. A few songs into his set, and the crowd was swaying and focused on the performer on the stage before them. Totally immersed in the songs and hanging on every note and lyric.

Our headliner, Conner Smith, took the stage shortly afterwards, and I guess this is a good point to bring up the lost lens. After opening his set with the title track to the recently released The Storyteller EP, my camera began to show an error message. The lens and camera were no longer communicating, and I was in the midst of a cold sweat and panic. After furiously trying the few tricks I knew to bring the camera back to life, I had to admit defeat and retreat to my camera bag, where a 70-200mm lens was waiting for me. However, from the close confines of ‘The Pit,’ a telephoto lens isn’t of much use. I grabbed a few shots but am left to wonder about those that ended up getting missed.

Also missed, was much of Conner Smith’s performance. I apologize for not being able to give a better description of what went down. I can say that Conner Smith and his band were terrific during that portion of time when I wasn’t running around the pit trying to get to my bag. They sounded great and were obviously having a great time up on the stage. “The Storyteller” is a great song and a terrific choice to open the show with. My mind may have been elsewhere but every other eye, as well as a good number of cell phones, was focused on the party that was taking place up on the stage. A party that I missed, but hopefully will be able to attend again should Conner Smith and his crew make their way back to the Great White North again soon.

Conner Smith’s tour came to an end in Montreal, but he will certainly be back on the road in the coming year. Be sure to check him out when he plays near you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a sad Country song to write about a photographer who drove into the big city and had his heart broken by a broken lens. Who knows, it might be a hit.

Conner Smith (w/ Zach John King) @ Théâtre Beanfield (Montreal, QC) on December 7th, 2024

23 photos