Dan Mangan with Bells Larson at The Danforth Music Hall

Photos By Matt Forsythe

For Dan Mangan, the key to success lies in building community through his music, and just as importantly, his actions. Before Mangan even came to the stage, show opener, Bells Larsen, told the gathering crowd how he came to be on the tour. This summer, his plans to play a gig in the U.S. to promote his new record were thwarted when his visa was denied because, as a transgender man, his paperwork did not match his identity. After seeing Larsen’s social media post about the situation, Mangan reached out with an offer to join him on tour. Larsen played a short, poignant set to an appreciative room. His new record delves into the nuances of what embracing a true identity means, as it features his singing voice pre and post transition. Having grown up in Toronto, he charmed the audience with hyper-local shoutouts amid his songs about change and acceptance.

Dan Mangan and his band sauntered out without fanfare. Facing the crowd, the singer explained that this would be a show of two halves. With the audience’s indulgence, in the first half they would play the new record, in its entirety, in its running order. Then they would play the hits. To match the mood of the creation of Natural Light, the stage was set as a cosy cottage, complete with a view of a sunset. With minimal chatter, they got to it, starting with It Might Be Raining and Diminishing Returns, the album’s opening tracks. The clever move of showcasing the whole record was a great way to bring their fans into their current headspace.

The band then left the stage and Mangan launched into the hits portion of the set with three solo tunes. There’s something particularly intimate about an artist stripping the music back to basics. Two of the songs were fan requests, including Find News Ways. The band returned to accompany Mangan for the rest of the set. Peppered with fan faves like Cold in the Summer,  Troubled Mind and For Escape, the second half of the show upped the energy levels. Grateful for his dedicated supporters, Mangan said “Thank you for just having these songs in your life”, noting that when he lets them go, he never knows how they will live out in the world.

The night ended with a vibrant rendition of Robots that saw Mangan venture out onto the floor of the Music Hall and everyone singing with conviction that “robots need love too”.  Though clearly the show was over, the crowd did not hurry to vacate and applauded long enough that Mangan did come back out. He joked that the set was done and there was nothing else planned. As it happened, he did have a new song that he was willing to play – a small gift of gratitude. How appropriate to kick off Thanksgiving weekend.

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Be sure to check out Collective Concerts and MRG Live to see what other great acts they will be bringing to Toronto this year.