Photos by: Markus Eliance

01/12 /10- Even though they are billed as co-headliners, singer/songwriter Serena Ryder stole the show Tuesday night from tour-mate Howie Day at their acoustic set inside the Roxy Theater. After show opener, Curtis Peoples had warmed up the room with his singles “All I Want is You” and “Back Where I Started,” Ryder took the stage (along with backup guitarist Eric Robinson) to begin her spell over awaiting ears.

Ryder, who hails from Millbrook, Ontario, has been on the map since 1999 with he independent release, “Falling Out,” and debuted her first major label album “Unlikely Emergency” in 2005. Howie Day, who came into the mainstream with his debut on Epic Records, first gained popularity with the single “Collide,” and has been touring, along with Ryder, to promote his most recent release, “Sound The Alarm.”

I could really feel something special once Ryder led into the title track from her album, “Is It O.K.” Ryder’s vocal styling possesses a special kind of zest, when you know someone is singing from somewhere deep inside. To compare her with another north-of-the-border contemporary like Alanis would do Serena a disservice; Ryder’s sound almost hearkens back to a Joplin-esque growl that hits you in the face with smooth-edged harmony. Similar vibes rang true with tracks like “All For Love” and “Little Bit of Red,” the former of which was featured on an episode of the ABC medical drama, “Private Practice.” View the video for “Little Bit Of Red” by clicking the link here.

Out of the standing-room-only crowd, a fan yells, “I love you!” – a distracted Serena looks up and replies with a smile, “[Crap], I forgot the chords. Try again!” The fan repeats herself, and Ryder quickly responds with, “I love you, too! That’s what I normally say.”

On top of everything, Serena is a natural charmer, reminscing with the crowd as she shares singing for war veterans at age 8 at a VFW in Toronto. She even took some time out of her set to converse with a few audience members. Her quirky, deadpan delivery resulted in bytes like, ”You guys like my bracelet? My purple bracelet that I have nothing else to wear with? Purple is actually my most hated color.”

Day covered the tail-end of the night with a 14-song, stripped down set, the stage decorated sparesley with a single floor lamp and area rug. While drifting in the sounds of his various pedals, I thought to myself, “this is the kind of setting I wish John Mayer would play more often,” that is, if he ever takes a break from sold-out stadium shows. Howie breezed through songs “Weightless,” “Be There,” and the title track from”Sound The Alarm,” finally closing the show with his hit “Collide” and an encore track, “Madrigals.”

Markus Eliance is a Live Show Correspondent for CWG Magazine. For his nightlife photography, visit YourProofItHappened.com, or his photo archive at ELIANCE Enterprises.