The second I walked into the photo pit, I was greeted with an explosion of colour and visual stimulation. The stage was filled with a huge array of instruments, colourful lights, and jungle-like décor. Synthetic trees, guitars, drums, and park benches filled the space of the massive stage. There was always something new to look at. It perfectly embodied Jacob Collier.
The crowd waited patiently for Collier to grace the stage, and when he did, the energy could be felt from all corners of the arena. He ran onto the stage, greeted the crowd, and then did something unexpected… he encouraged different parts of the crowd to sing certain notes and melodies, creating his own personal choir with the audience. It was a truly jaw-dropping experience. Different voices filled the room, uniting all of us in this beautifully artistic way. This would continue throughout the show. From rhythmic stomping and clapping to stunning harmonizing, Collier included the crowd in any way he could.
Collier spoke about working on Djesse vol.4, and how working with as many different artists and genres, as well as seeing what different artists could bring to his music was an integral part of his music. But the one thing that inspired him the most was the voices of his fans. Quite literally. In the making of Djesse vol.4, he included recordings of multiple different crowds singing along to songs at his shows (Montreal included!). There was even a crew member walking around the venue with a huge boom mic, capturing all the different voices and melodies throughout the show…
Collier is a man of impressive range in all aspects. His songs vary from soft indie folk to upbeat electronic music, to cultural African and Latin sounds. He spent most of the show running back and forth from the piano to the synth setup, to the guitar and bass, to the drum set, all while keeping perfect pitch! I mean, what can’t he do? For the extreme talent that he has, he is still one of the most down-to-earth and grounded artists I’ve seen live. The stage was his that night, but still, he made sure to show how proud he was of his support! Each backup singer was introduced with their own features, he applauded his musicians after impressive solos, and even joked around with his tech crew between songs!
Collier’s success largely comes from his pure talent and deep understanding of music, but in my eyes, he is so successful because he is also unapologetically himself… He took the stage wearing bright and flowy clothing, no shoes, and unmatched socks. It perfectly matched his personality! The whole show seemed to be completely experimental (with structured experimentation of course). No one knew what was going to happen next, but because everything was so personal and authentic, it worked. Not one person in that room was on their phone (except me taking notes and 600 videos of course). Seeing Collier work his magic felt like I was witnessing history. With every note sang and riff played, I was overcome with a new set of chills. I kept thinking to myself “I wish everyone on the planet could witness what I’m witnessing right at this moment”.
Watching Collier fully embrace the sound of his band, as well as seeing his genuine joy and passion he has for music was infectious! It reminded me of my childhood, being part of a choir in primary school and musical theatre groups in high school. It reminded me how much I loved music and how important it’s always been to me. Walking out of the venue after two stunning encores, I realized this feeling I had was unanimous! As music played on the building-wide sound system, everyone sang and danced together. Even after he left the stage, the energy of Collier’s performance lingered in the air. I have never felt less alone in a crowd full of strangers!
I look forward to seeing what new things Collier will bring to the music industry moving forward! He has an extremely bright future ahead of him, especially if he continues to trust his gut and make music as authentically as he is. If you have the chance to see Jacob Collier live, don’t miss out! I promise you won’t regret it…
Setlist:
100,000 Voices
WELLLL
She Put Sunshine
Little Blue
Wherever I Go
Cinnamon Crush (with Lindsey Lomis)
Time Alone With You
The Sun Is in Your Eyes
Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon &
Garfunkel cover)
In Too Deep
Mi Corazón
Never Gonna Be Alone
Witness Me
Fix You (Coldplay cover)
All I Need
Over You
Box of Stars Pt. 1
Encore:
In My Bones (with Kimbra)
Sleeping on My Dreams
Encore 2:
Somebody to Love (Queen cover)
Review & photos – Daphne Miller
Share this :
