Toronto’s Helman brings rock-pop blend to packed ACT

A flickering lamp on a bedside table accompanied Scott Helman when he approached the stool centre stage, lighting up his face intermittently as he strummed and sang his opening song House Key.

The artist was one of several who performed March 19 in the Algonquin Commons Theatre. A packed venue cheered him on throughout the show, filling in the lyrics to his songs when he pointed the microphone at them.

Helman is a pop artist native of Toronto. He’s known for his hit singles Kinda Complicated , Riptide and the gold-certified PDA.

In an earlier interview with the Times, Helman explained the message behind Lifeguard, one of his songs.

“Lifeguard was about, I guess that fear of failure too, but it was more about another person,” said Helman.

Curly bleach blonde hair and arms covered in tattoos, Helman wore a white t-shirt with the words “I am the walrus” tucked into a pair of black jeans and a black belt. On his fingers there were three silver rings.

“He wears the same black boots for every show,” says Kassandra Pantalone, a long-time supporter of the Toronto native , “He’s very casual, he never wears anything out of the ordinary.”

A four-time Juno nominee, which includes a 2018 nomination for Songwriter of the Year, Helman has toured all over the world, including Spain, Italy, Australia and Japan. Some of his songs could be heard on the local radio stations here in Ottawa.

“I found a song [of his] on the radio and I listened,” said Stephanie Said, who was also at the concert. “It was really fun and fresh – different than anything else.”

As for the concert at the ACT, fan reviews were positive.

“He spent a lot of time talking to the audience,” said Isabelle Gow, a fan of the singer who attended the concerts. “I loved it.

“He’s passionate – more of an extrovert. He sings a rock-pop kind of combo.”