It was with quiet confidence that the Weeknd mastermind Abel Tesfaye executed his very first show Sunday night (July 24) in Toronto at the Mod Club. But the hour-plus, outrageously anticipated performance itself was anything but timid. No one knew what to expect from the stealthy, press-shy R&B singer. We've never seen him. He's never even performed live.
Scheduled to open next Sunday's massive OVO Fest at Toronto's Molson Amphitheatre, alongside rapper Drake (who throws the annual to-do) and Miami don Rick Ross, Tesfaye clearly needed this debut to calm his nerves. Perhaps even as much as his fans needed to hear tracks off his much-hyped 'House of Balloons' mixtape finally unleashed live.
Camera flashes lit up the stage as the curtain pulled back on Tesfaye, in a rolled-sleeve camouflage shirt and a hi-top fade. Launching into 'House of Balloons' opener 'High for This,' it was clear Tesfaye was dazed by both the size and frenzy of the sold-out crowd -- not to mention the ridiculous line-up snaking around the club outside, with some in the queue reportedly camped out for nearly 10 hours after rumors surfaced last minute that a handful of tickets might be released at the door. A good chunk of the crowd were record label A&Rs, including most of the top dogs at Diddy's Bad Boy records, eager to see the unsigned sensation.
Playing with a live band -- and a good one, at that -- does incredible things for the Weeknd's moody, paranoid music, which first started to gain buzz late last year when three tracks were thrown up on YouTube, with little info about who was behind it. Tesfaye already has a pure-sounding voice -- angelic, floaty and forceful when needed -- and the addition of a drummer, guitar and bassist/keys player added a raucousness that the album itself was missing.
During 'The Morning,' the Weeknd's pseudo-mentor Drake stood on the balcony yelling the words to the chorus with as much excitement as the fans below. But the rap mega-star made no cameo appearances Sunday night, allowing Tesfaye to finally put aside all the mystery and fully have his moment
Watch the Weeknd Perform in Toronto
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