Sometimes you get exactly what you expect from a concert, but occasionally you get a welcome surprise. For many attending the Serena Ryder and KT Tunstall show at Massey Hall, that surprise came in the form of a young singer-songwriter from Milton, Ontario named Billianne. The first few notes out of her mouth felt like warm honey. With just a keyboardist and her own guitar and voice as accompaniment, the Tik Tok sensation proved her mettle in a short set that included her cover of Simply the Best and originals like No Wonder. A tad overwhelmed by the audience’s response, she definitely secured herself future fans.
After a short pause, KT Tunstall came to the stage. Though she sometimes performs with a band, Tunstall is known for her one woman show. The Scottish artist has been working a loop pedal performance masterfully since the very beginning of her long career. (Take that Ed Sheeran!) A natural storyteller, she has an easy rapport with the crowd, elevating her badass pop-rock songs with amusing tales. She talked of the perils of using your ankles as percussion instruments (hip pain), a sweet encounter with Robert Smith of The Cure (awkward smalltalk) and the time her tambourine went on an adventure… without her. She also has the ability to laugh at herself, demonstrated when she had to start a song three times to get the lyrics right. Charm and banter aside, Tunstall brings an undeniable energy to her songs – Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, and Other Side of the World. She ended her set with one of her biggest hits, Suddenly I See, which had the room happily bopping and singing along.
Finally, Serena Ryder made her way to the stage solo, guitar at the ready to for an acoustic rendition of Ice Age. After that, she was joined on stage by her bassist and drummer and launched into Weak in the Knees. The Massey crowd was already in her pocket, but she further drew fans in, by inviting them to sing along at any point through the night. The next tune, Little Bit of Red, allowed the fans to do just that as she deftly turned the chorus into a “call and answer” opportunity. Ryder has been open over the last few years about her journey to find mental-wellness. The path has included sobriety, reflection and hard work – all of which she poured into her most recent album, The Art of Falling Apart. The next few tunes she played delved into that experience. Better Now, Back to Myself and Waterfall all explore how to navigate a world that does not always value mental health.
Ryder has a loyal fanbase in Toronto and at one point early on in the set, a hand-written sign caught her eye. She interrupted the story she was telling to say hi to a young fan who had once gotten on stage with her to sing. At the end of her main set, Ryder invited the 11 year old up to the stage to sing Not Your Number with her. The crowd cheered as the youth did an admirable job of tackling the lyric-dense tune.
In her encore, as a gift to another young friend, Ryder covered the SZA song, Good Days. As the night drew to a close, Ryder invited KT Tunstall back out to cap off the show with a spirited version of her breakout hit, Stompa. The ensuing clapping of hands and stomping of feet filled the hall and lifted spirits to the rafters.
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Be sure to check out what other great events that will be headed to Massey Hall this year.
