We’re completely speechless after witnessing James Blake live… so please bear with us!
The British crooner stunned us at Toronto’s Massey Hall with a minimal set-up that packed one gigantic punch.
Blake was joined by his drummer and guitarist… and that was it. The three-piece performed all of the electronic elements of his indie/R&B/post-dubstep blend and it was truly a sight to behold.
Wow. @jamesblake can sing like no other. #LifeRoundHere is perfection live! pic.twitter.com/GVPPcMod6S
— Universal Music CA (@umusic) October 8, 2016
No laptops. No lip-synching. No pre-made loops. This was a performance that relied purely on the strength of musicianship.
Highlights included “Limit To Your Love”–the dense bass shook the venue and rattled our seats.
“I Need A Forest Fire” highlighted Blake’s vocal range and had the three members in perfect unison.
If you haven't heard "I Need A Forest Fire" by @jamesblake … you need to hear this beautiful song in full Chills… pic.twitter.com/3yq4Z9CrG3
— Universal Music CA (@umusic) October 8, 2016
“Retrograde” closed out the set, but not before its pulsing synthesizers levitated the crowd to its feet.
But that wasn’t all: a true crowd-pleasing moment came when Blake returned for the encore. His Joni Mitchell cover of “A Case Of You” drew wild applause when the lyric “I drew a map of Canada Oh, Canada With your face sketched on it twice.” It was a hometown nod that didn’t go unnoticed!
"I drew a map of Canada…"
Could this be more of a perfect encore song? @jamesblake pic.twitter.com/GOcQIR9Jbh— Universal Music CA (@umusic) October 8, 2016
If you missed Blake on tour, make sure to check out his latest album, The Colour In Anything, below: