Most tribute acts build their credibility slowly, one skeptical crowd at a time. Dave McNab, the Ontario native who fronts Outlaw State of Mind, built his in a single moment last August at Rogers Centre in Toronto, when Chris Stapleton himself, mid-show, spotted him in the crowd and leaned into the mic: “Hello, Canadian twin! We’ll put you to work; you better watch out. You’ll be signing autographs for everybody later.” It happened during Stapleton’s All-American Road Show Tour stop in the city. McNab’s response afterward was admirably understated: “Was a pretty cool moment for me I have to say.”
About the Show
That moment has followed Outlaw State of Mind onto stages across North America ever since, and it is worth sitting with what it actually says. Stapleton, who does not hand out compliments from the stage by accident, saw something real enough to stop a show at Rogers Centre over it. The resemblance runs deeper than physical appearance. It is in the voice, in the phrasing, in the stage presence the act has spent years developing.
The band bills itself as Canada’s premier Chris Stapleton tribute, and the reputation backs that up: theaters selling out in mere hours, a touring footprint across the U.S. and Canada, and an approach that prioritizes the full concert experience over karaoke approximations. McNab brings a professional backing band, and together they pull from across Stapleton’s catalog: Tennessee Whiskey, Broken Halos, Midnight Train to Memphis, Fire Away, and Outlaw State of Mind among the highlights, covering the full sweep of country, blues, and southern rock that has defined Stapleton’s sound. The performances are described as capturing the raw, blues-drenched spirit of the music, an immersive evening rather than a recitation of hits. For fans who have never managed a seat close enough to the real thing, or who want to hear these songs in a room where they have room to breathe, this is an honest alternative.
Venue & Logistics
Outlaw State of Mind plays the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda on Friday, May 21. The Riviera is a theater-seated house on Webster Street, the kind of room that suits a show built on voice and dynamics rather than spectacle. It is part of the western New York concert calendar. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
Tickets
Tickets are $20. The band’s history of selling out quickly is worth bearing in mind. Buy tickets