Grandson, MONOWHALES & No Love for the Middle Child
July 19, 2023
History, Toronto, ON
After nearly four years, Grandson made his return back to his hometown of Toronto as the headlining act at History. With a fresh new album out, I Love You, I’m Trying – we were all excited to hear it live for the first time. Being the second city on the Canada leg of the tour, the anticipation and buzz surrounding the concert were undeniable. Fans from all over flocked to Toronto, eager to witness Grandson’s electrifying performance.
Opening for Grandson, we had No Love for the Middle Child warm the crowd up for the night with an energetic performance. No Love had a great stage presence and took the crowd through a range of emotions with hard-hitting songs to a surprise slow song accompanied by a cello. That was undoubtedly a first for me to see on stage.
Next up, we had the second opening act, JUNO-award-winning, alt-rock band, Monowhales from Toronto, Canada take the stage who wasted no time in captivating the audience. Lead vocalist Sally Shaar rocked out with her funky and charismatic dance moves, encouraging the audience to join in. As the set grew to a close, Sally jumped into the crowd with a surf and was carried by the sea of adoring fans. It brought the crowd closer to the band and created an unforgettable experience for everyone.
As we approached 10 PM, the crowd waited in anticipation of Grandson. To start us off, they played “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen and “Lose Yourself” by Eminem in full as a way of warming us up.
The stage setup was beautiful, with a camouflage aesthetic in reference to his album I Love You, I’m Trying. Grandson sat down on a bench next to a street sign titled with his album name, and played the first track, “Two Along Their Way”. As an emotional album, Grandson wanted the audience to feel connected and get a look into his thoughts. He did a great job of letting the emotions shine through each track and through the moments where he interacted with the crowd.
The best thing about attending a Grandson concert is the level of inclusivity, everyone is welcome and everyone looks after each other. This was more than evident as the night went on.
As expected, Grandson gave an explosive finale with the hit song that contributed to his success – “Blood // Water.” It was a memorable night. If you haven’t seen Grandson yet, the I Love You, I’m Trying tour is worldwide and will continue through the rest of the year.
