Toronto

Toronto has always been a meaningful stop for the band, with former member Michael Kulas based in the city. He’s even rejoined them onstage a few times – first back in September 2008 at the Phoenix Concert Hall, and most recently at History last year.

14th September’s gig took the band back to Queen Elizabeth Theatre, where they last played in 2010 as part of their The Morning After The Night Before tour.

After a blistering set at CityFolk Festival, the band returned to their Laid album with fresh energy, performing five tracks from it in the first set and eight in the second. The band showcased three songs from Yummy – ‘Way Over Your Head’, ‘Shadow of a Giant’, and ‘Stay’.

Opening the night was ‘One of the Three’ – its lengthy intro, layered with extra guitar, building a quiet tension. In recent performances, it’s played in a lower key – likely to suit Tim’s evolving vocal range – with Chloe stepping in to handle the higher harmonies. The arrangement adds a new emotional weight to the track, especially with the addition of Andy’s soft, mournful trumpet line toward the end.

The first set leaned toward a slower tempo, allowing space for goosebump-inducing moments like ‘Dream Thrum’ and ‘Lullaby’. The latter, led by soft acoustic guitar before Mark’s delicate piano gently breaks through, currently carries greater depth and intensity than ever. Tim’s delivery of the heartbreaking lyrics are especially powerful throughout this tour, his voice enhanced by a subtle bounce-back effect that deepens the songs expressiveness.

The second set opened with Skindiving, a track that has now taken that lead-off spot three times on the tour. Showcasing some of the more uptempo cuts from Laid, the set also included a handful of crowd favourites, including ‘Getting Away With It’ and ‘Sometimes’. True to the band’s spirit of risk-taking and unpredictability, ‘Getting Away With It’ became the perfect soundtrack for one of Tim’s signature moments – vaulting over the barrier to sing and dance among the crowd.

After a joyous rendition of ‘Laid’ that often serves as the perfect ending to their shows, the band were clearly having too much fun – and the crowd was so loud and insistent – that they managed to squeeze in one more song. ‘Sit Down’ closed the night on a powerful communal high, perfectly capturing what the song has always stood for: unity and hope.