Reviews

Concert Review/Photo Gallery: Palaye Royale @ History in Toronto, ON 9/30/22

By Taylor Cameron / October 4, 2022

The marquee was lit up in purple outside of Toronto, ON newest venue, History, with the band name Palaye Royale written across it in bold letters. The Fever Dream tour rolled into Canada on September 30th, ready to give everyone the best Friday night of their lives. Excited fans queued outside for hours, ready to claim their spot at the front of the stage. 

Kicking off the night of live music were the glam rockers from Atlanta, GA, Starbenders. With a 70s style, Starbenders strutted the stage with confidence and pure ease. Kimi Shelter (Vocals) had the audience in the palm of her hand, captivating the crowd within seconds along with her bandmates. Their electric stage presence was contagious, the energy radiating throughout the enthused crowd.

Although their set was only thirty minutes,  Starbenders treated it as a headlining gig, leaving everything they had on the stage; everyone in the room cheering them on. Following up Starbenders was the alt-pop singer songwriter carolesdaughter.

Grabbing the audience’s attention with her relatable tracks such as “xo i hope you die” and “violent”, a group of girls, gripping the barricade tightly to keep their front row spot, sang their hearts out with the So-Cal native. I was pleasantly surprised with her set, having never listened to her music previously. She held the audience’s attention with ease, never failing to entertain the crowd.

Mod Sun is next, bursting from the darkness into the green lit stage, his energy at 110% right out of the gate. From the moment he stepped onstage, it was clear that he loves what he does and was prepared to give the audience an unforgettable performance. “You’re all my new best friends” he smiles before going into his track “Perfectly Imperfect”. He’s unapologetically himself and made everyone in that room feel as though they mattered, preaching that being different is amazing.

Like carolesdaughter, Mod Sun presented a set filled with songs that the crowd related to. With their middle fingers raised high in the air, he performs “Rich Kids Ruin Everything”, a track he wrote about his experience growing up middle class in a rich suburban neighborhood. “This is for anyone who was made fun of for who they were, what they wore and what music they listened” he stated, something I related to deeply.

What was admirable about Mod Sun’s set is that he made everyone feel as though he was their friend. For the forty minutes he owned the stage, he created a person-to-person relationship with the audience, not an artist to fan relationship; he was able to connect with every person in the room that night. Before playing his latest single “Battle Scars” he takes a moment to reflect on his sobriety and how grateful he is to be standing on the stage, overdosing three years prior. Dedicating the song to anyone dealing with addiction, depression, anxiety and the demons in their head, he made everyone feel heard. Mod Sun does not take this life for granted and it is clear within his stage presence; he created a safe space within that venue, something that isn’t easily done.  

Closing out the night were the Canadian-American brothers, Palaye Royale. The crowd roared in excitement as the house lights went down and the band stepped onstage. The energy this band has is like no other, the one word coming to mind when describing their stage presence, is powerful. Remington Leith (Vocals) energetically jumped around the stage while delivering a strong vocal performance as guitarists Sebastian Danzig and Andrew Berkeley Martin paraded confidently, their guitars filling the sound.

This band knows how to deliver something special and unique, never disappointing or losing the audience’s attention for a second. The stage was lit up by warm tones, a large fluorescent sign that read Palaye Royale glowing behind the elevated drum set played by Emerson Barrett.

Fake pink flowers were strategically placed around their space, the setup feeling warm and inviting. During “You’ll Be Fine”, R. Leith hopped down off the stage into the photo pit, climbing on top of the barricade, holding onto a lucky fan’s hand as he sang to them, taking connection with the audience to the next level. Watching Palaye Royale onstage is a pleasure, these talented men have created something extremely special and captivating to witness.

Midway through the set S. Danzig takes a moment to thank the inhouse lighting guy for doing a great job in the absence of their hired lighting guy. “We arrived at the border this morning to find out that some of our crew don’t have passports,” he states. “This included our lighting guy and our bus driver, so I had to drive our truck into Toronto this morning at 5:30,” earning a laugh from the crowd, the band joining in. It is clear that Palaye Royale have not forgotten where they came from, radiating a sense of humbleness in their stories.

 Closing out their set with “Lonely”, the audience sang along loudly. R. Leith runs out into the audience, excited fans following as he makes his way to the bar, standing on top; there is no denying that he is meant to be a front man. 

Each band on the bill brought something special to this show, leaving the crowd utterly satisfied. The Fever Dream tour is definitely one for the books and a show you do not want to miss.  

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