Hall & Oates @ Air Canada Centre

Ripping through a lifetime of hits, smooth pop duo Daryl Hall and John Oates made the vast Air Canada Centre feel like an intimate nightclub this past Tuesday night. With a career that stretches over multiple decades, they had no shortage of big singles to dive into and threw in a few neat twists along the way. The theme of the night was “retrospective” and Hall enhanced it by regaling the crowd with backstories about each of the band’s songs.

It all kicked off with the slinky, bass-driven “Maneater”, with its searing saxophone lick burned into the minds of everyone who grew up in its era. Long-time sax player Charles DeChant shone in the spotlight not just during this track but on quite a bit of the set, at one point even taking centre stage alongside Oates while Hall hit the keyboard. One prominent sax solo came during the rarity “Is It a Star”, followed by an extended version of “I Can’t Go For That”.

Another key player ended up being opener Train’s lead singer, Pat Monahan, who joined the band on stage for three tracks. The first was a brand new joint effort between the two acts, “Philly Forget Me Not”, followed by Hall & Oates’ “Wait for Me” and topped off with Train’s 2003 hit, “Calling all Angels”.

The final third of the show was a barrage of massive jams; “Kiss on My List” segued into “Private Eyes” with ease, and the show was capped off with the double dose of “Rich Girl” and “You Make My Dreams”. It was a quadruple threat from the duo of gifted songwriters who continue to delight audiences around the world.

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