Kaytranada (LA)
So, I showed up a bit late to Kaytranada’s concert at BMO Stadium and totally missed the first opener, Amaarae. Major bummer, but I caught the second act, Channel Tres, and he was a vibe! I hadn’t heard his music before, but he had everyone dancing. Then, out of nowhere, he brings out Ty Dolla $ign and Thundercat, and they absolutely crushed it! Ty even performed “CARNIVAl,” which was so dope.
But then it was finally time for Kaytranada, and let me tell you, the energy was off the charts. He opened with tracks from his latest album, Timeless, and I was loving it. “Witchy” and “Hold On” were definitely highlights, just pure magic live.
And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, he brought out PinkPantheress and Dawn Richard to perform, which was such a cool surprise! Aminé also joined him for some songs from their collab album, Kaytramine, and the crowd was all about it.
The absolute best part for me was when he played “Assumptions” and “Be Your Girl.” Those songs are classics, and experiencing them live in the pit with everyone else was unreal.
Kaytranada really knows how to throw a party. His ability to mix sounds and keep the vibe flowing is impressive. Honestly, if you missed this concert, you need to catch him next time.
CONCERT RATING - 9.7/10
Mk.gee (hollwood X2)
Words can’t describe how incredible this concert was… the opener was SEES00000, it was an awesome live performance of hard dance beats and super strong sampling, the whole crowd was jumping and really feeling the drums on it. Mike performed every song off of Two Star perfectly and it was insane just how much better it somehow sounded in person. The drummer, guitarist, and him were all in perfect sync along with the crowd. My favorite live track he performed was I Want but every song was insane. Overall a perfect concert and I would recommend literally anyone who has the means to buy a ticket to go. 10/10. Edit - I went the second day and it was just as amazing, he also brought Dijon out for DNM.
IAN (TORONTO)
I admit that I’m not the biggest Ian fan, and his decline might be around the corner, but this concert was great. I live in Montreal, and his concert was in Toronto, which is a 7-hour drive. My friends really wanted to go, so I tagged along, but I wouldn’t have traveled to Toronto alone. It was still a fun experience, though.
This review covers Ian’s third concert at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, a sold-out show.
It was indeed sold out, with a line stretching half a mile around the block. The doors opened at 7 PM, and the show started around 8:30 PM with his DJ. The DJ’s set was alright—nothing extraordinary. He played some tracks from Chief Keef, Carti, Ken, and Osamason. It was hype, but the crowd didn’t seem to engage much, possibly because the vibe was too calm. The DJ’s set was brief, maybe 10 minutes, and Ian didn’t make us wait too long for what we came for. He kicked off his performance with “Never Stop” from his latest project. The mosh pits were huge but only lasted until the TikTok segment of the song ended, which was amusing. For a small venue like this, the mosh pits were the biggest I’ve seen, though they didn’t live up to expectations.
At that point, I wondered what Ian would play for the rest of the hour, as I wasn’t sure he had enough material. He played some unreleased tracks that no one in the crowd seemed to know, leading to an awkward atmosphere as people tried to figure out if the songs were from his album.
Ian eventually took to the piano on stage and played some classical music, which was a cool, if somewhat amusing, interlude. The concert played into his "white boy" image, with some fans dressed in the "had to do it to em" outfit from his album cover, which was pretty funny. He performed a good chunk of his catalog and ended with “Magic Johnson,” his biggest song, which really energized the crowd. After that, he left the stage, and the lights went out briefly. When he returned, he performed “Shouldn’t Be Drinking on Lean” and his collaboration with Yachty. He played “Magic Johnson” and “Hate Me” with Yachty once more before wrapping up the show.
For his third show, Ian already had a solid stage presence, which was impressive. However, Toronto crowds can be quite aggressive—I even saw a fight break out in the middle of a mosh pit.
Overall, I had a great time. Normally, I wouldn’t have traveled this far to see him, but it was enjoyable. He has a great stage presence, the track list was okay, and the mosh pits were weak. I wouldn’t return to see him unless it’s really convenient—I’m not driving another 7 hours just for this.
CONCERT RATING - 6.5
GENRE - Hip-Hop, Rap