Jessie Ware with Jesse Boykins III at the Danforth Music Hall

Photographs by Neil Van.

It is always exciting to see an artist who is on the precipice of a monumental shift. That feeling underscored Jessie Ware’s show this past Saturday at The Danforth Music Hall, the largest venue she’s played in Toronto to date. The progression to such a bigger space is a natural path for someone as talented as Ware; she not only has two solid critically-praised albums to her name, but in the grey space between the indie and mainstream worlds, she has also collaborated with and befriended some very cool individuals. Sam Smith, Nicki Minaj, SBTRKT and Sampha are a few noteworthy names in Ware’s rolodex. 

Opener Jesse Boykins III possesses the same sense of individuality that defines those chart toppers. While his set-up, a lone laptop, was a bit underwhelming, Boykins powered through a half hour set with vocals that have a tremendous amount of depth. He sold his emotions against wavy sounds and electronic pulses in “I Can’t Stay” and “The Wonder Years” from his 2014 album Love Apparatus, often physically embodying his passionate expressions to the point where he overheated and shedded multiple layers of clothes, ending up in a gold, shimmering shirt. The ever-so welcoming Torontonian crowd quickly responded to the Chicago-native’s movements and direct request to shuffle from left to right during “B4 the Night is Thru”, which could have made for a great dance scene in a movie. 

According to Jessie Ware, Canada on a whole is the type of place that you would describe with the phrase “What a guy!”, as she mentioned at one point during her show. The same could be said about Ware because she ensured that even a sold-out event at the Danforth Music Hall, with a thousand plus capacity, felt personable. That in itself is a reason to make an effort to see Ware live; she is charming, humorous and easy to adore, someone who feels deserving of more, especially when she skips hesitation to call out an audience member on their sunglasses. “I mean, you look really good, but they are completely unnecessary,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. At another point, she chastised fans for their poor efforts in marriage proposals, but only after she expressed her remorse for changing her make-up routine. 

Ware’s genuine nature cuts the impact of her material in a live setting, but also affirms the understanding of the complexities and beauty in relationships and love indicated on her records because she converses like she’s been there. While the sonic undertones that deliver these identifiable themes differ in scope, they are connected by Ware’s deep sense of soulful sounds. The flow between the neo-90s R&B found on songs like “Nightlight” from Ware’s debut Devotion and the sultry, Miguel-cowritten “Kind Of…Sometimes…Maybe” as well as “Sweetest Song” off of last year’s Tough Love felt natural and proved to be a wonderful demonstration of Ware’s range. 

Although Tough Love is a departure from Ware’s first album, it also appears that it was taken in the right direction as it drove Ware’s ascension in the last year. Perhaps the assistance of big names like Ed Sheeran, The xx and Sam Smith on the album helped Ware change gears and learn the ropes of mass-appeal, but her show indicated complete confidence, capability and dominance in a bonafide pop sound. Ware’s forthcoming single, “Champagne Kisses”, may be the ticket to move her into an even brighter spotlight; it is the kind of tune that makes an audience, including Toronto’s, fully subscribe to the Jessie Ware gospel, arms outstretched, swaying and uplifting in its R&B, anthem-quality ways. 

The delicate handling of throwbacks, including “Wildest Moments” and the zippy “If You’re Never Gonna Move” inspired joy for many old-school fans and induced many shoulder shimmies. It would have been nice to have a bold taste of Ware’s offerings from the earlier days of her career, specifically a rendition of “Taking In Water” as it is one of her most emotional vocal pieces. Instead, Ware warmly ghosted over the likes of “Cruel”, “Running” and “Tough Love”, proving that even in the subtleties, Ware is a powerhouse.

The package that is Jessie Ware can ultimately be sold over one viewing of a performance of “Say You Love Me”, which happened to be the concluding number on Saturday night. The fact that it is rooted in such an intimate place, like Jessie’s presence, made it an incredibly climatic and satisfying moment. While Jessie jokingly called out “Drizzy call me!”, something she has publicly hoped for over the years at her shows in Toronto, it would be very surprising if she didn’t hear the phone ring sooner than later. She is more than prepared for it.