In 2004 Howie Day reached, what is quickly becoming, the pinnacle of his career with his mega hit "Collide". Day is indeed still making music and is currently on the tour circuit in support of his recent effort "Sound The Alarm". Day put on a solid performance but it may have been the opening act in Serena Ryder that justified the price of admission.

Hailing from Ontario, Ryder has been performing music since she was eight. The experience most certainly shows, as she has the unique ability to pull the audience in, not just with her music, but her personality. With a nonchalant attitude and klutzy gracefulness Ryder laughed, sang and charmed her way through her allotted 30 minutes which culminated in an impromptu encore.

Ryder's voice has a Joplin-esque quality about it and whether you're a fan of folk, rock, country or pop you'd be a fan of Ryder's. As the set progressed her real talent shone through. It's very difficult to captivate an audience in 30 minutes armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar but Ryder conquered the task with ease and looks poised to head line in the next few years. For the bulk of opening acts the audience's reaction varies, but when Ryder came back on the stage to grab her guitar and leave she was met with a standing ovation from the small audience. Ryder obliged by performing another song and stepped out of the spotlight for the head liner. On this night Serena Ryder could've been the name on the marquee and the audience would've been perfectly happy.

The Great American Music Hall had filled out by the time Day appeared on stage. The 29- year-old provided a predictable set and filled his allotted 90 minutes with a mix of new unheard material as well as older pop ballads which the audience received well. The first few notes of almost every song were met with spattered applause and it became clear that although Day may not be a household name he has a serious following. As the show wore on it began to drag towards the middle as all the ballads began blending together. This venue was the perfect spot for Day's stripped down live show. The small venue worked well as Day took song requests from the fans and answered screams of "I love you," with a laugh.

The obligatory performance of "Collide," was saved to round out the set and lead into his encore. Many of the fans headed for the door once the final notes were played. Day could definitely hit the proverbial jackpot again with one of his many catchy pop melodies, the bulk of Day's musical content is about love lost and most of his lyrics are instantly relatable. The problem is most of his music is generic and doesn't have anything to make it stand out. For now Day presses on in the club scene trying to collide into another huge life changing single, hopefully this talented performer will get another shot at the big time before his fading star gets lost in the crowd.

Review By: Tyler Sobie