Vancouver got to make a bit of history on Feb 12th, welcoming the Aussie sensation Tones and I to Canada for the first time in the artists career. A full house patiently awaited the pink haired, hat wearing singer at the Imperial, and welcomed her with open arms and dancing feet. This was definitely a highly anticipated show; the crowd was filled with die hard fans who have followed Tones and I since she started in 2018.
Toni Watson, known as Tones and I, is a busking babe hailing from Australia’s Mornington Peninsula. She travelled to Byron Bay in 2018 to live in her van and live a life of busking and freelancing. Sounds like she would fit right in with our Victoria friends, hey? Best known for her song “Dance Monkey”, which quickly shot her to the #1 spot on the Aria Singles chart, where she stayed for 24 weeks, making history. It has since reached #1 in 30 countries, and everyone became quickly obsessed with her. And it’s easy to see why; armed with her keyboard, loop pedals, and her unreal vocals, she is a force to be reckoned with. “Dance Monkey” has well over 1 Billion streams on Spotify alone. 1. Billion. The official music video has over 665 Million views on Youtube. So yea, Toni is WELL on her way to taking over the music industry.
The crowd was rowdy and eagerly awaiting Tones and I, after Lime Cordiale did a killer opening set. This being Tones only Canadian show, with the rest of her North American tour SOLD OUT, many fans flocked from all over, making new friends in the crowd and loudly yelling about the Air BnB they snagged downtown just for this show. When the lights dimmed, the Imperial erupted in cheers and whistles, then dropped to a dead silence as Toni stepped up to her solo set and grabbed the mic. The best way to describe Toni’s voice is pure, raw, unique magic. No one said a word as she opened with “Colourblind”, letting her voice echo thru the venue. One thing I love about the Imperial is how sound travels, and boy did Toni travel. Her vocal control is steady and consistent, her growls precise, and her stage presence is mesmerizing. I mean, when was the last time you went to a concert and no one says a word? Pretty amazing. She then broke the trance with “Never Seen the Rain”, which prompted everyone to shake off the spell and start dancing. Tones and I picked the best Canadian city to debut in; EVERYONE knew every single word to her songs. She let the crowd take over parts, and everyone sang her song back to her perfectly. You could tell she was overwhelmed, even under that red hat I could see her grinning from ear to ear.
Bubbly and eager to chat, Toni shared stories of her times busking, her friends back home, and her inspirations for songs. She treated us to a brand new song, “You’re so Fucking Cool”, written for her “ratchet friend Abby” and their nights at house parties, ending in Ubering home, getting Uber Eats, and watching Netflix. Honestly, everyone’s dream BFF. The tune was inspired by Abby’s love of “Deep House Summer Bangers”, which got everyone laughing and cheering. We all know that style, and love that Toni appreciated her friend that much to write her a personal party tune. She got us dancing and moving, and craving those summer bangers and house parties.
“Jimmy” came next, and we all took a moment to reflect on that past partner, boyfriend or girlfriend that we all once had. “We all have a Jimmy we want to forget, but can’t stop thinking about”. Amen, sister.
She then took a bit of a serious note, telling us about the first song she ever released, “Johnny Run Away”, 11 months ago. She wrote it for her friend Johnny, who came out to his family. She took this time to talk about bullying, Johnny’s experiences, and her own experiences with haters on the internet. Toni expressed her passion for anti-bullying movements, and how much she does not tolerate bullying. She urged everyone to “judge people by the way they treat others”, and the Imperial cheered in agreement. You could tell how much love there was in this crowd, for Toni, her music, and her message. She erupted In “Johnny Run Away” and the crowd belted by her side. It was an amazing and powerful moment. I may have teared up a little.
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She quickly shifted the mood back to a fun dance party, telling us hilarious stories of a hostel she used to park her van at for free, and how she would sing at their talent shows, with the hostel owner named Cockatoo Paul. We can only assume he had a cockatoo to get such a name? She talked about dancing with her friends at these shows, which prompted her to break into an unreal cover of “Forever Young”, which she brought her own synth style twist, and let her strong vocals growl through the tune. The crowd grabbed their friends, partners, or a stranger and swayed and danced by her side, taking in the moment and wishing it would last forever.
Before the spell was broken and the night was over, Toni reflected on how grateful she was for where she was, her fans, and her #1 song, which is of course a dream come true. She erupted in “Dance Monkey”, which we had been patiently waiting for. Not a single person stood still, and the whole venue was moving and vibrating and singing along. Tones and I knows how to throw an amazing party, that’s for sure. She finished off with “The Kids are Coming”, her newest song, and the title of the tour and EP. The perfect badass millennial anthem, guaranteed to make any Boomer angry. The dancing got stronger, the cheers got louder, and we were inspired to kick some serious Boomer Butt.
Tones and I is a force to be reckoned with, and it’s truly inspiring to see what she’s accomplished in 11 months. This is only the beginning for this Aussie artist; if she has a #1 record breaking single in her first year of being an artist on the map, I can only imagine where she’ll be in another 11 months. See her while you can; she’ll be feeling out arenas before we know it! I expect nothing but incredible things from this talented human, and I can’t wait to watch her shine.
