Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Inclement weather may have forced Bryan Adams to postpone his July date of the “Get Up!” Tour at FirstMerit Bank Pavilion At Northerly Island, but on Thursday night at the very same venue, the Canadian rocker beamed he was “happy to be back.” And fans appeared just as enthusiastic as he more than made up for the delay with a generous set plucked from the last three decades that went north of two hours.

Yet the show didn’t exclusively focus on yesteryear, instead dedicating a hearty chunk to worthwhile new cuts such as the charging “Do What You Gotta Do,” the equally assertive “Go Down Rockin’” and the wiggle-worthy bounce of “You Belong To Me.”

Surprisingly, the singer/songwriter/guitarist delivered what could very well be considered his three biggest smashes- “Heaven,” “Summer Of ‘69” and “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You”- within the first 45 minutes. If anything, that decision demonstrated just how deep his arsenal of hits ran, which included “Can’t Stop This Thing We Started,” “Run To You,” “Somebody” and the by-request ballad “Please Forgive Me” (a mere fraction of the more than two dozen tunes presented).

All the while, Adams gave them all a no-nonsense delivery backed by a lean four piece band, sounding pretty much exactly the same as the bulk of his 65 million album selling streak. Yet the show didn’t exclusively focus on yesteryear, instead dedicating a hearty chunk to worthwhile new cuts such as the charging “Do What You Gotta Do,” the equally assertive “Go Down Rockin’” and the wiggle-worthy bounce of “You Belong To Me.”

He may have lost some folks towards the end (if only for the advancing hour and a tardy start time), but those who made it through the sing-a-long of “Cuts Like A Knife” and the lusty “The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You” appeared satisfied. An encore featuring a mixture of upbeat and understated selections continued to key into Adams’ most prominent styles, though if there was one tune to summarize his overall attitude on this spirited make-up, it would simply be “Straight From The Heart.”

Click here for more Bryan Adams photos from FirstMerit Bank Pavilion At Northerly Island.

For additional information on Bryan Adams, visit BryanAdams.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at FirstMerit Bank Pavilion At Northerly Island include Pretty Lights (Sept. 23-24). For additional details, visit LiveNation.com.

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