Canadian Independent Rapper DAX took to the stage in Winnipeg, MB as part of his cross-country tour on Nov 27, 2022. Opening Acts included: Andre Jeanson, VITAL, and Max Winds - All up-and-coming local artists in the Winnipeg Hip-Hop Scene. The show was hosted at Exchange Event Centre, located on the corner of Princess and Bannatyne in the heart of Winnipeg's Exchange District.
Review:
Now as someone who's followed Dax for quite some time here, I can admit a little bit of bias. I can also admit even more bias having worked with many of the artists who opened the show for him. and perhaps even more bias can be had as the "house shooter" in terms of photography and video recaps for the event... But even that taken into account, I gotta' be honest - this show was really fucking good.
And I say that for a few reasons.
The openers were great. Polished. Each had their own guests to come up for songs which can be a disaster in some cases, but they were well-rehearsed and transitions were smooth. Each had a connection with the crowd, each built up the energy for the main act which is ultimately the job of the opener in the first place. A special shoutout to Max Winds as well who actually climbed onto the second level balcony DURING his performance... draw your own safety conclusions on that one, but it was pretty damn cool to see (and photograph) (see below).
Moving on to the main act - DAX. Now I am personally very privileged to shoot and attend many shows, often going on stage with the acts, seeing unique viewpoints, etc. Dax was no different. Where he was different, though, is he actually performed his songs. And well, too, I might add.
We're in a weird era of performers not actually performing the songs - I went to Rolling Loud in Toronto this year, half the performers just stood there with the song playing in the background. Yes, I'm all for atmosphere and energy, but at a certain point, if I'm paying to see you perform your songs, I expect exactly that.
DAX showed the ability to both hype up his crowd and slow it down at will, coming with energy and literally ripping his shirt off before slowing it down for the likes of "Dear God" and "Dear Alcohol" - a fan favorite seen easily by the fact that they performed the song to DAX - not the other way around.
I've always been drawn to DAX and his ability to rap about things that matter in this world as opposed to getting money, fucking girls, and selling drugs. This was display in full force as during his set, Dax called up a fan on stage who had particularly been impacted by DAX's message, with a sign that read "DAX, YOU SAVED MY LIFE" (seen above) for a very special moment. Moments like these remind me why we all got into this industry and line of work in the first place - to impact those around us.
Next time DAX comes to town, you'll definitely want to be there. Recap Video Below:
- Dave Mac