R5 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre

It’s been 3 years since the last time R5 performed in Toronto. The band brought their New Addictions Tour to the Phoenix Concert Theatre on Wednesday night, and given the reaction from the crowd, it was clear that everyone was eager for their return.

Opening up the show with their explosive new track ‘If’, R5 mania officially hit the Phoenix as fans began pushing their way to get closer to the stage. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a show with so much energy, and in a way it kind of felt like I was seeing the Jonas Brothers all over again. The fans were singing along to the top of their lungs, and through out the night you could hear fans shrieking for the band members. As the night progressed, the band also performed song such as ‘Easy Love’, ‘All Night’, and ‘Trading Time’.

What I thought was really neat was how R5’s set was broken down. They started out as a full band, then lead singer Ross Lynch hopped into the crowd and asked the fans if they wanted to hear an old R5 song and a cover song, or 2 cover songs. Obviously, they opted for the old R5 song, so Lynch performed ‘Pass Me By’ and then treated the crowd to a cover of John Mayer’s ‘Waiting On The World To Change’. When the rest of the band returned onto the stage, they performed songs such as ‘Heart Made Up On You’ and ‘Cali Girls’ to which they changed the lyrics to Toronto girls. They even took a request and played ‘If I Can’t Be With You’. It’s pretty awesome to see how interactive the band is with the crowd. Last time they were in Toronto they performed at the Sony Center, and there was a girl who held up a sign asking to go on stage to sing Cali Girls with them; Lynch granted her request and pulled her up on stage.

Before the night came to a close, Lynch took the time to take a step back and intake the crowd. He spoke about how grateful him and his siblings were to be on stage performing every night and thanked everyone for coming to the show. Just the by the look on his face when he took that step back, you could tell he wholeheartedly meant every thing he just said. Ending their set, they performed their single ‘Smile’ before leaving the crowd with their song ‘ Did You Have Your Fun?’

I left that show pretty deaf from all of the screaming fans, but seeing R5’s energetic performance was definitely worth it.