Canadian singer Shawn Desman has been active in the music industry for over two decades, and his latest tour, the Back to Life Tour, proved that he is still as electric a performer as ever.
The tour stopped in Winnipeg on Nov. 30 at the Club Regent Event Centre. The venue was filled to near-capacity, but thankfully not to the point of feeling overly packed.
Opening the concert was Jamie Fine, Desman’s collaborator on the feel-good dance track “BODY,” released on Mar. 21. The song entered at #26 on CHR/Top 40 and #34 on the Hot AC.
Fine opened the concert strongly, with powerful live vocals that filled the room, singing a mix of her own songs like “If Anything’s Left” and “For You,” and covers such as Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” Fine entertained the audience with many jokes and wisecracks. However, along with the humour, she got poignant, openly sharing her mental health journey, and most emotionally, dedicating a medley of Coldplay’s hit “Fix You” and her own “Give Me One More Night” to her late uncle. With half an hour to perform, Fine made the most of her time on stage and charmed the audience with her unfiltered authenticity.
After a brief intermission, Desman took to the stage with his backing band. Opening the show with one of his biggest hits, “Electric,” he showed his signature flashy dance moves and energetic stage presence. The heavy choreography was in no way a hindrance to his live vocals, which remained rock-solid throughout.
The show featured many of Desman’s best-known hits, spanning his entire catalogue of music. The songs ranged from earlier works such as “Shook” and “Get Ready,” to his latest releases such as “Miami” and the aforementioned “BODY.” Fine returned to the stage for the latter, and the two showed remarkable on-stage chemistry.
Along with his original songs, Desman also displayed versatility through music covers. These included a seamlessly executed mashup of his own song, “Spread My Wings,” with Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature,” and a cover mega-mix of songs by the most famous female singers of the 80’s, including Janet Jackson’s “What Have You Done For Me Lately,” Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” and Madonna’s “Holiday.” Desman’s covers had the audience singing and dancing along.
The second half of the set maintained the energy of the first, with Desman seemingly ending the set by walking through the crowd during “Night Like This.” But of course, amid chants of “One more song!” from the enthusiastic audience, he returned for an encore, performing a snippet of his latest song “One Good Life” (a collaboration with country artist Dallas Smith), and bringing the night to a close with a reprise of “Electric” that had everyone dancing just as much as the first time.
Desman announced on Dec. 16 that he will take 2026 off from touring. However, as he left the stage, he promised the Winnipeg faithful that he will return to the city in 2027. If you can see him live, it’s can’t-miss entertainment – so stay tuned.
For more information on Shawn Desman, visit shawndesman.com. For more information on Jamie Fine, visit jamiefinemusic.com.
