Daniel Caesar Leaves Lasting Impression on Hometown Crowd
On September 28 and 29, 2019, Daniel Caesar returned to Canada to perform at Toronto's notorious outdoor venue, Budweiser Stage.
Being from Ontario, Caesar felt he needed to do something out of the ordinary for his Toronto fans.
Sunday September 29 was a breezy, cold day. Although this would usually be an inconvenience for an outdoor venue, Caesar’s stage setup was positively intensified by the breeze.
The stage was full of purple, red and blue hues and smoke machines blowing from every angle. The LED lights and the smoke surrounding the stage made the performers and the venue majestically artistic.
The show began with silhouettes of four female backup singers. Their long hair swayed in the brisk wind as they sung sedative lyrics.
Suddenly, they were joined by an enthusiastic commentator who came out to excite the crowd for the upcoming acts. The modern reggae sound of Caesar’s track, “CYANIDE” then began. Fans went crazy as the thrilling commentating continued and Jamaican singer, Koffee returned to the stage. Koffee opened the show alongside up-and-coming Canadian pop artist, Charlotte Day Wilson.
Surrounded by the red lights, Koffee sang a verse from “CYANIDE,” one of the most popular tracks on Caesar’s most recent album, CASE STUDY 01. Nearly halfway through the song, Caesar subtly emerged onto the stage and sang the remainder of his song with the infectious melodies continuing in the background.
Similar to the song, his performance of “CYANIDE” was intimate and astonishingly chilling.
Caesar then took a moment to warm up his hands, catch his breath and reflect. He looked in front of him to see thousands of Canadian fans staring in awe. He expressed his gratitude then quickly lead into his next performance.
The crowd grew excited as he sang his widely known song, “LOVE AGAIN.” While he was performing the hit, the stage was filled with shades of violet. This track is very romantic and melancholy so it was fitting for the mood of the set to speak for the emotions behind the lyrics.
Caesar was unexpectedly joined by recording artist, Sean Leon who is from Toronto. The two performed a more upbeat version of their song from CASE STUDY 01, “RESTORE THE FEELING.”
Later on in the show, Caesar went to the front of the stage with his acoustic guitar. He acoustically sang, “Best Part.” He then sang, “Blessed” and “SUPERPOSITION”. Although all of Caesar’s songs are generally slow, these three songs are particularly relaxing and heartwarming.
“Best Part” is Caesar’s most beloved song. As soon as this track’s first guitar string echoed throughout Budweiser Stage, fans immediately raised their phone-flashlights and began hollering R&B singer, H.E.R’s, opening verse featured in “Best Part.” After singing “SUPERPOSITION,” Caesar said goodbye to his Toronto fans. The audience was quick to encourage an encore.
Predictably, Caesar returned to the stage with “Japanese Denim.” This was a single he released in October, 2016. Ever since then, fans have been swooning over this soulful track. This nearly four minute song has gospel, rock and blues sounds intertwined throughout. Caesar made sure to incorporate each of these genres in his performance vocally and aesthetically. Similar to how the show started, Caesar left with the audience in chills.
Written by Gabby Cleveland
