Jazmin Bean brought their 'Traumatic Livelihood' tour to Toronto, with fans lining up outside of The Axis Club eager to get a glimpse of the artist and what they had in store for tonight. Right on cue at 7pm, the doors opened and fans slowly shuffled their way inside, with a good chunk lining up right away to buy some t-shirts from the merch booth. Travelling all the way from the United Kingdom, Jazmin was gearing up to wow fans with their hyper-pop, synth-rock style that rocketed them to gain the fanbase that is in attendance tonight.
Taking to the stage first was Ari Hicks. Seeing her opening up for Jazmin filled me with joy, as this is the second time I got to photograph Ari after watching her open for Kenya Grace back in December of 2023. A thick cloud of fog covered the stage as Ari Hicks made her way into position, opening with her tracks “Innocent” and “Good Boy.” The crowd, who were all lost in a daze of screams and heart-hands, welcomed Ari Hicks with open arms. Ari stopped for a moment to talk to the crowd, speaking on how she enjoys performing in Toronto, as it is her hometown, and that she came here to have incredible fun tonight before going into her next song, “Romeo Dies” which was mixed with a cover of “LUNCH” by Billie Eilish. Towards the end of her set, Ari Hicks had the crowd singing in unison with her cover of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”, before closing with a handful of her songs, including her biggest hit, “Kiss Me, Kill Me.” Thanking the crowd, she told them to find her amongst them later in the night, as she wanted to meet as many fans as possible.
Ari Hicks @MacPhotoMedia
Shortly after 9 pm, Jazmin Bean emerged on stage, opening with their songs “Piggie” and “It’s Not My Fault, It’s Yours.” Right off the bat, Jazmin showed the crowd their high energy, moving and dancing around the stage with mood-set lighting that perfectly fit each song. Stopping for a brief moment, Jazmin spoke with the crowd, saying that they hope they’ve been enjoying their newest album, Traumatic Livelihood, before heading into the songs “Traumatic Livelihood,” “Is This It,” and slowing things down with “Terrified.” Jazmin’s heart was right in the music, going from song to song without faltering any of their energy and never missing a beat. Heading into what they said was their favourite song off the album, Jazmin performed “Shit Show,” which I didn’t think was possible, but Jazmin amped up their energy even higher.
Jazmin Bean @MacPhotoMedia
The crowd was at their absolute peak, screaming and belting every word. The beginning to Jazmin’s song “Hello Kitty” began, and the hard-core fans upped it another notch. Smiling, Jazmin asked the crowd, “Shall we do another throwback?” and proceeded to go into another song from Worldwide Torture, “Yandere.” After giving Worldwide Torture a shining moment in the setlist, Jazmin spoke with the audience saying that the next round of songs are very important to them. “Stockholm Butterfly,” “Black Dress,” and “You Know What You’ve Done” really was a crucial moment during tonight’s set, as it really solidified Jazmin’s vocal ability, allowing their voice to shine out and really staple themselves as a true artist. It was also a touching moment that Jazmin dedicated “Black Dress” to friends that they have lost. They also dedicated it to people who are living, but not having the greatest time.
Marching into the last round of songs, from some really eager fans in the audience, Jazmin reminded the crowd of concert etiquette, about not screaming the songs so loud that it ruins other concert-goers experiences, and they also mentioned that when they’re that close and that loud, they cannot hear themselves in their earpiece, so to please just sing, not scream the lyrics. This is something I can fully agree on. I enjoy singing along at concerts, but I don’t want my experience ruined by those screaming so loud I cannot hear the artists themselves. Closing up their show with “Bitch With The Gun,” “The Blood Brings Colour and Fluoresce,” and encore song “Saccharine”, Jazmin proved to those in attendance tonight that they really have the vocal and creative ability to be a shining artist during the streaming era of music. Just like I suspected from seeing Chappell Roan live before she blew up, I think Jazmin Bean will be following the same path very soon.
Jazmin Bean @MacPhotoMedia
You can stream Jazmin’s latest album, Traumatic Livelihood, below on Spotify:
