Casper Sage walked on stage at 8:15 on Friday night to a small but very intimate crowd and venue.
Considering how little he was working with, Casper had a great performance. After some songs off his new album Synthesis+, he did a cover of Dijon’s 2021 song Rodeo Clown. The song, which features an already intimate vibe, was perfect for the occasion. Casper’s voice filled the venue and left the crowd with nothing but applause.
Casper, whose fan base isn’t nearly as big as Midwxst’s, certainly has a great first impression for those coming to see the main act. The great music, ambiance and outfit, which featured a loose dress shirt, a winter hat and a hair pick, all complimented each other in a way that left the audience with something to remember.
Casper exited the stage after a nice performance with the guitar and some well-sung songs. It was after Casper’s performance that one of the members of the crowd began to move from person to person, asking for an autograph on their pair of all-white pants. The bold crowd member was also wearing a pair of the Tik-Tok viral “Big Red Boot,” which later led to one of the highlights of the whole night.
After a plastic tree stump, featured on his debut album’s cover art, was moved to the front and an expanded video cover was played in the back of the stage, Midwxst came out.
The album E3, of which the tour is named, is a different musical approach from the 20-year-old. With a much stronger emphasis on quality song production, this album’s concert experience was aided by instrumental backing from a guitarist and a drummer.
The first half of the set consisted mostly of these new songs as well as some of his more popular ones, such as Trying and i know you hate me. Overall, the performances were solid, however I was left with a desire for slightly more emphasis on the band, who could have easily had solo performances at the end of and leading up to songs such as lights out.
It was after the guitarist and drummer left the stage and the lighting, which became darker and more intense, with heavy red lights, that the crowd gained its energy. The show took a new form, and the songs called for mosh pits involving the whole crowd. Midwxst took off his shirt and hopped off stage to join one, building hype for the beat drop by standing in the middle and screaming the ad-libs as the beat dropped and everyone ran into the centre, making the venue even hotter than it already was.
After some high-energy performances of songs like 223’s, which features a clever verse from BabyTron, Midwxst exited the stage. The crowd was not pleased, and before the headliner was completely gone, there was a chant for one last song. MIdwxst, who was certainly planning on this happening, came right back and performed Care, a short yet very high-energy song which was perfect for members of the crowd, who had clearly been hungry for more.
Throughout his set, the headliner displayed surprise and love for the crowd’s energy multiple times, but it was when he was about to really leave the stage that he was shocked. The previously mentioned Big Red Boot was handed to him and signed. He then, along with the rest of the crowd, laughed at the absurdity of the situation. After some difficulty holding such a big object, Midwxst signed the boot and, with both hands, held it above his head as a sort of trophy. The oddity of it all was perfect and gave everyone a good laugh. With one last look at the crowd, the 20-year-old gave some advice to the crowd, saying that they can do whatever it is they want and that they shouldn’t let anyone hold them back. To the crowd, which consisted mainly of young adults, the message resonated deeply and they gave him a final applause as he left for good.
With the show ending at the ideal time, 10:30pm on a Friday, and with a great location in Mount Royal, the show was a perfect start to the weekend.
Review & photos – Nicolas Cantin
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