On August 3 rd , 2023, Toronto’s grandson had his “I love you, I’m trying” tour make a final North American stop at Victoria’s Capital Ballroom. The night featured two opening acts from Toronto’s Monowhales and LA’s No Love for the Middle Child. This show had been sold-out for months, but thanks to my connections (cough.. cough.. Rocktographers), I was able to attend the show and document my experience for you.
First up for the night was LA based artist, No Love for the Middle Child. The guitar and drum duo played a 9-song set which showcase their punk influenced alternative sound. What I noted most about their performance was how quick they were to include the crowd. Within the first few tracks, we already had opportunities for the crowd to join in on the singing. The amazement did not stop there, as a cello solo was performed before their final song. Incredible power from this group and a great way to start the evening.
Toronto’s Monowhales were next up, and the energy did not die down for a second. Playing some songs from their last two album as well as showcasing some new music, the group had no shortage of hits to keep the crowd going. Sally Shaar, the lead-singer of Monowhales, energy alone was enough to keep the crowd wanting more. Before the last song, Sally decided to jump into the crowd and continue singing RWLYD, which prompted others to start singing. I can easily see Monowhales becoming the next big Canadian rock icons from this show alone and before we move onto our headliner, can it be quickly mentioned that Monowhales has yet to play a festival in Victoria. (Wink.. Wink.. Nudge.. Nudge..)
Since this was my first grandson show, I wanted to ask some die-hard fans about what to expect. I spoke to Jerika, a fan who has been listening to grandson for about a year, and she told me to expect energy. She also described grandson’s shows as “welcoming no matter what” and that he is someone who “everyone can relate to”. Strong review to live up to, but they were not wrong. His set began with an entrance song, which is becoming a common occurrence at shows. It reminds of pro-wrestling and how each wrestler has entrance music. Unlike the cool nature of pro-wrestling entrance music, grandson decided to select Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Not a particular favourite of mine, but it got the whole room singing every word.
After the singalong, we got into the performance. What caught my eye first was the stage décor. A street bench, 3 lamp posts, and a sign which read “I love you, I’m trying”, were all on stage. It helped create this story behind his music. The show began with grandson sitting on the bench as his guitarist and drummer started getting ready. From there, the crowd was met with immediate energy as grandson started with a couple tracks from his 2023 album, which bears the same name as this tour. At this point, the crowd is enticed by grandson’s aura, which gave him the perfect opportunity to speak to the fans. He shared that for those who had never been to a grandson show, there are 3 main rules.
– When I jump, you jump.
– If you know the words, sing them.
– If you see a mosh pit and do not like it – get away from it.
Seems like a simple set of rules and the crowd agreed with the rules too. At this point, grandson gave Victoria exactly what they wanted. The night continued to feature songs from his most recent album but also included tracks from the rest of his catalog, including his 2020 release Death of An Optimist. The night also included an acoustic cover of Justin Bieber’s Baby. You may be asking why, to which I say: it’s grandson, why not? By now, everyone has had the experience of a lifetime, but it did not stop there. As an encore, grandson performed his hit, Blood // Water and climbed the railings on the second floor of Capital Ballroom. From there, he dropped into the crowd. This was a perfect way to end what was their last North American date of this year.
Since it was their last show, grandson ran a small auction at the end of the show for the lamp posts on stage, with proceeds going to Vic Youth Empowerment Society. To give a world class performance is one thing, but to then give back to the community, it was an incredible gesture of him.
As I walked outside, drenched in sweat due to how hot the venue was, I recall what Jerika had told me. The energy I had experienced was intense and it was nice to see Victoria treated to that. Since this show sold-out months ago, I’m sure this won’t be the last time any of these artists play Victoria.
