After the original shows were rescheduled, Toronto was buzzing to enter the doors of Massey Hall for night one of Clairo's three-night residency. Fans lined the barricade with signs reading, "You're my Joni Mitchell" and bright eyes. The scene was set to Wendy Rene’s, “After Laughter (Comes Tears)" as the band, alongside Clairo, passed around glasses of wine pre-show. The stage resembled a 70s smooth jazz lounge and the pre-show chatter had the carpeted stage feeling like a conversation pit in its own right.
The backdrop was dressed with mirrored pieces dangling atop gold curtains, acting as a unique version of a disco ball. When a majority of the stage lights were shut off and left with a singular light to the backdrop, the singer was doused in shimmering polka dots of golden light.
One of the most impressive skills Clairo has as an artist is curating new arrangements of her old discography to fit the current album cycle’s sonic vibe. The bedroom pop classic, "4EVER", was almost unrecognizable as the lyrics were sung over a smooth Bossa nova orchestration. The singer gave fans of all origins a taste of her sonic archive, ranging from “Flaming Hot Cheetos” off her debut EP to all the hits of her newest album, Charm. A fan favorite, “Bags” had the entire room, from floor to third-floor balcony, screaming along;
Can you see me? I’m waiting for the right time / I can’t read your, but the pleasures all mine
Even in the moment, when an audience member required medical attention, Clairo and her band felt like watching a film. As the crowd patiently waited out the emergency, the singer looked effortlessly cool chatting to her band. If a single shot was taken in this moment, it could’ve been classified in the same realm as an A24 movie.
While the singer is known for creating sonically soft music, there’s never a dull moment at her gigs. A cult classic moment in a Clairo show is the ritual of an audience member doing a backflip — Toronto had a young girl pop onstage to share her talents. As Clairo, also known as Claire Cottrill, took a seat in what she called her “back flip watching chair”, the guest flew through the air landing in the splints…and inadvertently ripping her pants. No more than a single song later in the set, Cottrill let out a giggle along with, “Sorry guys, I just can't stop thinking about the pants ripping.”
While the show was meticulously curated, Clairo and her accompanying band made the room feel like an effortless jam session between collaborative artists that the audience happened to stumble upon. The versatility of the stage band was evident as each member seemed to shift to play different instruments throughout the set; Keyboard to Omnichord, Saxophone to Flute, etc. The second verse of the track “Bags” had a breakdown so different from the studio recording, it was almost if the band was given leeway to improvise as a typical jazz band would, and the audience would never know. The same track contained the most insane saxophone solo arpeggiating and swelling the room, it was hard not to notice the evidently impressed audience, some simply gasping and others unable to contain their cheers.
Perhaps the most impressive instrument played that night was during the final track, “Juna” as Cottrill demonstrated her “mouth-trumpet” expertise. And just as quickly as the show began, it ended with fading lights and a brighter grin from Clairo. Toronto got the last few stops of Clairo's Charm tour and it was well worth the wait.
