Country-hip-hop star Shaboozey shines in Toronto debut — and it’s not just because he had the hit of the summer

Well, Shaboozey — that was a doozy!
If there was any sort of debate about who owned the song of the summer, the winner — at least in terms of chart action — would be the dreadlocked country singer from Woodbridge, Va.
The crossover “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has been topping Canadian charts for the past three months, while in the U.S., the good-time number has peaked at No. 1 for close to 10 non-consecutive weeks: overall, a pretty good accomplishment for a guy that’s been kicking around the system for a decade. “Tipsy” hasn’t been his only breakthrough this year: he also embellished the second part of Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” trilogy — the acclaimed “Cowboy Carter” album — with a rap appearance on “Spaghettii” and a co-write and appearance on “Sweet Honey Buckiin,” an impressive calling card if you can get it.
On Friday night, Collins Obinna Chibueze made his Toronto debut at a fairly filled Danforth Music Hall and left a positive, lasting impression for a genre that occasionally needs a breath of fresh air.
That pleasant breeze was delivered by Shaboozey, who showed a little cinematic flair with his stage setup: a desert highway scenario replete with boulders, cactii and sagebrush — he probably would have thrown a tumbleweed on there if he had room for it — with a weathered billboard that sported a gigantic hole in the middle. He was also accompanied by a trio of musicians — a pedal steel guitarist, another acoustic guitarist and a powerhouse drummer, although the frontman himself was mostly instrument-free during the set, which clocked in slightly longer than an hour.
On record, Shaboozey has a bit of a lazy drawl and his music musters a touch of Morricone, keeping up with the renegade imagery that permeates such albums as “Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die” and “Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going,” the latter providing most of the material for his appearance.
Live, however, a lot of those nuances are lost in his performance, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
After predominantly rapping through the declarative “Last Of My Kind,” his allegiance was proclaimed: “Hello Toronto, my name is Shaboozey and I play country music.”
He grabbed a waiting can of beer as he launched into “Tall Boy” — a song that’s more about a female object of desire who lives on the edge, from the viewpoint of her suitor/accomplice than about the size of the beverage — before delivering a tune of heartbreak called “Anabelle” from his latest album.
Spending much of the show waving a kerchief used to wipe his brow whenever he got too sweaty, Shaboozey worked the entire stage and got stronger the deeper he got into the set. Most of his material hovers around the three-minute mark, and he delivered a lot of it without much deviation from the originals, dialing up his confidence for a more forceful delivery with each number.
What was really enjoyable was the topical balance: instead of the rote theme of non-stop partying that seemed to be prevalent for way too long in male country music, Shaboozey offers some heartfelt moments that revolve more around love and reflection than getting pissed at a local bar, although he’s certainly up for that, too, with a song like “Drink Don’t Need No Mix” and, of course, his chart-topping megahit.
“Horses & Hellcats” fantasizes about life on the run; “East Of Massanutten” sees a cowboy future beyond a Virginian town and Shaboozey — as a prelude to “Let It Burn” — told the crowd that this inspiring, anti-suicide song “changed my life forever,” according to the outreach he received from people telling him that the number helped saved their lives.
He gave us a contemplative version of Bob Seger’s “Turn The Page” and looked impressed when the fans serenaded him with the second half of “Highway” after he had provided the first verse and chorus.
“You’re the best audience,” he said, ramping up his passion with each subsequent number, including his strongest singing with “Steal Her From Me.”
The lighting was fairly simple, but tastefully used, framing Shaboozey with orange and yellow hues that effectively enhancing the emotions of whatever tune he was throwing down.
Of course, the show ended on a celebratory note with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” but one came away with the notion that we were witnessing a charismatic artist demonstrating a rare finesse that offers imaginative and unlimited potential.
As the title of his album “Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going,” suggests, the voyage that Shaboozey intends on taking his fans and listeners is heading toward a very exciting and eventful destination.
Another bonus for country music fans: tickets for the show were priced at a very reasonable $25-$30. When was the last time you saw a No. 1 artist for so little?