TORONTO, ON- This past weekend, Toronto rapper and grammy-nominated artist Daystar Peterson, better known by his stage name Tory Lanez, came through the Queen City to play a free show at the Mod Club. A couple weeks prior to his performance in Toronto, Lanez announced that he would be playing a select number of free, intimate shows across North America that would also involve meet and greets in promotion of his latest released album, ‘MEMORIES DON’T DIE’. Needles to say, this displayed to me the dedication and love that Lanez feels towards his fans. A number of free shows and the opportunity to meet and chat with an artist that a lot of fans admire is a great way to show others that you genuinely care for your fanbase; not just about the money.
Playing a venue that only has a capacity of about 600 with tickets on a first come, first serve basis, hundreds of eager fans lined up outside hours- as early as 3 hours!- before doors to hopefully snag a spot. Hanging back and observing for a little while longer, the line kept growing and growing exponentially; so much so, that when I came back to the Mod Club around an hour before doors were set to open, the line had extended from the doors to about 2 blocks away. To say that it was impressive would be an understatement. There had to be at least 800 people lined up! This made me feel very fortunate that I was able to bypass the line with my press pass and find a good position in the venue, provided that there was no pit to shoot from.
With everyone starting to file in as the night progressed, the GA was completely crammed along with the mezzanine above. Running onto the stage two hours after doors, Tory was greeted with one of the loudest crowds I’ve heard in a very long time. Playing bangers off of his first album such as “Flex”, “Cold Hard Love”, and “High”, as well as new tracks off of the latest album, you could literally feel the ground shake as every able-bodied person on the GA and above were hyping Tory up. Although his resume may be short in terms of commercial success, Lanez has been grinding to the top ever since the release of his very first mitx-tape back in 2009, ‘T.L. 2 T.O’. His cocky and confident demeanor is something that he has rightfully earned. From humble beginnings to now being one of most sought after hip hop/R&B artists in the industry today, coming back to his hometown to perform for the intense crowd that greeted him was definitely something I could tell Tory appreciated.
Not only was he absolutely owning the stage during his hour and half set, but he brought out special guests such as A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Nav to perform alongside him as well. It was almost too much for the crowd to handle, considering they got to witness all three highly popular performers for a total cost of nothing. The highlight of the show for me and for many others as well, was Lanez’s signature crowd-walk along with other crazy acrobatics. The image of him standing in triumph as the crowd lifted him up in the air with hundreds of phone lights shining down on him was surreal to me . The level of devotion and admiration the crowd was showering was overwhelming.
Lanez did not settle for just his crowd-walk however; he proceeded to climb a pillar leading to the ledge of the mezzanine section where he jumped and sang with the crowd. Very few shows that I have been to are as intense and wild as what I was experiencing. It was by far way more than I had anticipated. With the energy of both the crowd and the performer along with some crazy stunts, Tory’s show was everything a fan could have wanted and more.
The energy in the room was infectious. I just wanted to just put down my camera and go crazy with the surrounding audience. Whether it be his onstage antics, his commanding flow, or the heavy trap beats in the background, there was not a doubt in my mind on why many consider Tory Lanez to be on his way to be crowned the next king of the rap game.
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