October 9, 2025
Soul legend Lee Fields returned to the loving adoration of Montreal
As Kelly Finnigan put it, there is no greater Soul performer alive today than the great Lee Fields. A testament that Finnigan proved right after he and his band, the Monophonics played a near flawless and brilliant set prior to giving the stage over to Fields – who brought the house down.
Finnigan is right, too – Lee Fields released his first single way back in 1969 and since then has performed with everyone imaginable in the Soul realm. He, himself, a true legend of the genre and of American music itself. So when Lee Fields and The Expressions come to town, it really is reason to celebrate. Always has been, and always will be.
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I myself, have been called many things throughout my years. A punk rocker, a metalhead, but the truth is more akin to how David McWane puts it; I am a lover of the sound. I was raised by a Mod mother and a Suedehead father on the sounds of Motown, Reggae, Ska and or course Soul. As such, tonight felt very much like I was back in those days. A trip back in time, to where my love of the sound began, and it was a journey I didn’t realize I needed so badly.
Monophonics
Monophonics singer Kelly Finnigan is truly a throwback to a different time, with a voice that is as powerful as it is soulful and deep. It emulates emotion and his lyrics really stir up a whole concoction of thoughts and feelings in his listener. Much like the Motown and Soul tunes I was raised on, which is what got me thinking about my childhood and my upbringing that I alluded to earlier. Sound is funny that way. Music especially, has the ability to trigger memory unlike anything else. Unless you count smell, of course. (You can look that up!)
Tonight, the Monophonics came out swinging. Throwing hooks and dropping powerhouse bombs from the sound of the bell. While they opened on an instrumental number, their next two or three tracks were attention grabbing tunes that served their intended purpose.
Hearing Promises tonight was fantastic. It was the turning point, for me at least, that this set went through great to phenomenal, and I found myself already looking forward to seeing this band again before this show was even halfway done. Is that strange? Probably. I could see the Monophics sat on the main stage at the Montreal International Jazz Festival playing to a hundred thousand people one day, and hopefully that one day comes soon.
Despite being just two days into this tour, Finnigan and the Monophonics were on fire, performing brilliant and powerful tunes that at several times had audience members in tears. Midway through their set, they pulled out Sage Motel – which is a personal favorite of mine and judging by the swaying of the crowd about it, I am not alone in that sentiment. While the Monophonics sound great on vinyl, they’re so much better on the live stage.
Sage Motel is also the title track off of what, in my opinion, is the bands best recording to date, and also the source of roughly half of the tracks that the Monophonics had selected for their setlist tonight. Little wonder then that I was enjoying their set so much.
Their penultimate track, It’s Only Us, had all the couples in the audience cuddling together, as they swayed in time to the music with a tear in their eyes. The power of music never ceases to amaze me. And tonight, I found myself beyond astonished.
Lee Fields
Earlier in the evening, when I had arrived at the historic Coronoa… I mean, at the Beanfield theatre, I was shocked to find but a handful of people inside, sipping overpriced drinks. I was early, as I often am, but still it was a shocking site given who was due to perform this evening. The pub next door had been packed solid though, which was something I had noticed. Foolishly, I thought that was because the Burgundy Lion pub now serves sausage rolls!
Even when the Monophonics had begun playing, the room was only about half filled. That was rectified by the time their opening number had ended, an instrumental piece called You’ve Made Me So Very Happy, which is a Brenda Holloway cover. By the time Kelly Finnigan began to sing on Love You Better, both floors of the theatre had filled up. And by the time Lee Fields had come out, the place was primed and pumped up, ready to get down and boogie.
I was lucky enough to have seen the late, great James Brown perform live – and I feel just as lucky to have seen the great Lee Fields too. Multiple times even. Tonight was on par with every other time that I have seen the man live, which is to say, tonight was a fantastic night.
Fields and The Expressions had beun their set mush like the Monophonics had, with an instrumental piece that gave way to Lee Fields making a massive entrance to the stage. Pure showman. Fields emerged in a sparkling purple sport coat that was as dazzling as it was reflective. Style and pizzazz galore.
Fields is proof that age is but a number, as he nimbly strutted about the stage, lunging towards his audience, microphone in hand. The more he danced, the more Montreal followed suite. With great poise, Fields dazzled. Always the entertainer. La crème de la crème. Throughout the show, it was obvious that the man still adores his craft. In turn, people still love to see Fields and The Expressions. And around and around we go, in a love triangle that will never fade away.
As Fields began to sing the opening lines to You Can Count On Me, a flurry of emotional rushed over me. First, my feet began tapping, then my shoulders dipped from the left to the right. My hips swayed. My knees dipped. Involuntary dancing have overcome me and instantly, there I was, as everyone else was, having a great time. Dancing the night away.
A large portion of tonight’s entertainment was taken from Lee Fields and The Expressions expansive career that has released twenty-four albums. Last time he stood upon this stage, was shortly after the release of that twenty-fourth album, Sentimental Fool, and as such, a good portion of the music they played that night had come off that record. Tonight, just the two songs from that 2022 record were played; Forever and Two Jobs. The rest of the songs could well be recorded and released as a veritable best of with ease.
Numbers like My World, Two Timer, Never Be Another You and Got To Get Through To You set the tone on a brilliant evening. I imagine it must be quite the ordeal, prior to touring, to decide which songs to perform on the upcoming dates. With so many records to pull from, and so many great songs to consider.
“Is everybody happy?” asked Fields.
This seems to have been the question on Lee Fields mind tonight, as he asked it on several occasions. Always the showman. Sharpley dressed and full to the brim with charisma. Lee Fields, as is my experience, was a charm to see and hear tonight.
All too soon, eleven tunes came and went and the night was drawing to a close. As Make The World concluded, so too did the night, as Fields and The Expressions left the stage. Only, this isn’t my first rodeo and everyone knows that the encore is now a foregone conclusion. Whereas there was a time when a encore was a special treat to add too a special night, these days, its rare for a band not to come back out.
For their encore, Lee Fields and The Expressions once more began the segment on a instrumental note, this time playing Joe’s Tune, again padding the way for Lee Fields to make a big entrance back to the stage to cap off what had been a wonderful evening. This time though, Lee Fields and his band were joined on stage by Kelly Finnigan. Together, they sang Sunny, a Bobby Hebb cover. As Fields and
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The Beanfield theatre, or the Corona as its marque outside it still proudly says, was made for nights like this. Nights of beauty. Soulful nights of grandiose, powerful and soulful music. Yes, Mister Fields, we are happy! Happy to have shared such a wonderful night with you and your band and the Monophonics.
And, Mister Fields, we will be happy to welcome you back again anytime you see fit to come out this way. And bring the Monophonics with you too.
