Concert Review: Jessie Ware, April 4, Danforth Music Hall

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A sold out Danforth Music Hall and a brisk snowy April night were the perfect ingredients for a show by Jessie Ware, a woman who brings the pipes and sass of a pop star but also the warmth and humanity of a human aids worker in a war torn third world country.

Saturday’s rowdy and rambunctious crowd was the largest Toronto crowd that Jessie Ware has played to and I suspect it is only a matter of time before she will be playing much, much larger venues. It’ll be a sad moment when that happens, as some of the best moments of the show on Saturday were her interaction with her fans (including mocking a fan for proposing to her). It’s a testament to her personality that she still remembers some of her diehard fans from previous shows. Either that or she films all her shows and then studies them before each show. I doubt that though.

Saturday’s set balanced tracks between the two albums seamlessly. The crowd loved every bit of it. How could you not? Jessie Ware not only has soulful songs and a silky smooth voice, but delivers her tracks with such positive conviction that you have no choice but to buy in.

One of my surprises from the show was that the slow burning single Say You Love Me has usurped Wildest Moments as the closer. At first I was like whaaa, but as the entire crowd starting singing the lyrics I Don’t Want to Love…if You don’t want to try I started realizing what a therapeutic anthem this track probably is. I also had a mid nineties flashback and realized yes, this is another great r&b song that would have been a massive hit in my youth. In another era, Jessie Ware might have been one of the biggest stars out there, however, maybe that other era is the future and I’m actually a time traveller. Wha? Anyway bottom line: great voice, charming personality and bullet proof music. She gonna be big soon. Mark my words.

Posted on by Ricky in Concerts, Everything

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Britpop lovin Chinaman, consumer of all things irrelevant. Toronto Raptors fan.