City and Colour plays House of Blues on Friday, Aug. 25.Dallas Green made the leap into performing full time in the city that shares his name. He was on tour with his metal-tinged hardcore band, Alexisonfire, and decided to do something impulsive to mark the occasion.
“I got my knuckles tattooed in Dallas when I decided to go for it,” Green says from his home in Toronto. “I did the whole, 'I’m gonna end my life right here. Music is going to work, and I’m never going to get a regular job.'”
Green has enjoyed a successful career with Alexisonfire and as a soulful folk artist performing under the alias City and Colour, an allusion to the fact that his first name is also the name of a city, and his last is also the name of a color. The city isn't his namesake, however; he's named after George Dallas Green, a baseball player and manager for various teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies.
Green is on the road promoting the fifth City and Colour album, 2015's If I Should Go Before You. He's also released four albums with Alexisonfire and collaborated with Pink as You+Me since 2002."When I wrote those songs, I never thought about things like that. I didn't think, 'Oh, this will be nice to get married to.' I was just writing myself out of something." – Dallas Green
tweet this
City and Colour’s music is romantic and heartfelt. Green says he's heard that many couples have gotten engaged at his shows, and he’s been asked to perform at weddings.
“When I wrote those songs, I never thought about things like that,” he says. “I didn’t think, 'Oh, this will be nice to get married to.' I was just writing myself out of something.”
Despite his success, Green is indecisive about the future. “I’m not really sure where I want to go with the next record or if I want to make another record,” he says.
“For the last 15 years, I’ve just made records and then went and toured with them and came home, made records and went on tour with them, whether with Alexisonfire or City and Colour,” he continues.
“I think this time, I’m not really in a rush to write new songs," Green says. "I’ve got little bits and pieces here and there. I always tell myself I’m going to take a break. But this year, I booked 108 shows."
City and Colour, 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., $68.58 and up, livenation.com.
