As Torontonians, we have seen our fair share of musical talent emerge from our city’s streets. From the likes of Justin Bieber, to K-OS, Kardinal Offishall and Drake, we are lucky to live in a metropolis brimming with such musical talent.
Currently, one of my favourites has to be Abel Tesfaye (better known by his stage name as The Weeknd), a Scarborough born R&B artist and record producer.
In 2010, Abel uploaded three songs to YouTube under the name “The Weeknd”, but remained anonymous. The songs garnered attention online through word of mouth, and caught the attention of fellow Toronto rapper Drake, who helped generate hype for the newcomer.
On Sunday, Sept. 21st 2014, The Weeknd performed for a sold-out crowd in his home town, closing out the Molson Amphitheatre’s summer season with his King Of The Fall mini-tour; and let me tell you, it was one heck of a show. His energy was amazing, you could tell he was incredibly humbled to be performing for such a big crowd in the city he was born and raised in. For over two hours he performed many of his biggest hits, along with some new music too.
As amazing as The Weeknd was, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the two opening acts that stole the show. Kicking off the night was the beautiful and talented Jhené Aiko. Jhené is an up-and-coming R&B singer, who just released her second studio album, to critical acclaim. She is perhaps best known for her collaborations with other popular R&B stars such as Big Sean, Drake, Childish Gambino, & Lil Wayne. I had the pleasure of seeing her perform live at Coachella music festival this past year, so I was very excited about seeing her again. The second performance did not disappoint.
The final opening act of the night was Schoolboy Q. He performed wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs Phil Kessel jersey, and completely blew the fans away. His fast-paced beats and skilled rhyming captivated the crowd and got everyone pumped up for the show to begin.
(Jhené rocking the stage)
Overall I would absolutely give this concert a 10/10. All three of these performers are individuals who are genuinely talented up and coming artists, with miles of potential. If you haven’t heard of them, I urge you to check them out soon, because they will be the next thing.
(rain? what rain?…….) (me & a few girls at the concert)
Stay classy Toronto!
Metropolitan Musings 