Gayle's Scared but Trying Tour: Unforgettable Moments in Downtown Toronto

BY ARLIN

The nights have become brisk in the heart of downtown Toronto, but it didn’t stop fans from lining up early in anticipation for Gayle’s scared but trying tour. UK musician Dylan opened the show with a fantastic set. As someone who hadn’t heard her music before, she absolutely earned a new fan. Decked out in red and white, complete with a Canadian cowboy hat and flag that she later danced around with as a mid-show interlude, Gayle hit the stage with her song “indieedgycool”, a satirical take on a reminder to not take life so seriously.

I came into the show only being familiar with her hit single which has now garnered over 1 billion streams “abcdefu” (which Gayle mentioned first went double platinum here in Canada!). She has an incredibly powerful voice that I was taken aback by. There is a fullness and energy in her singing, while also tuning in at times to the softer sounds of her studio versions. 

Her playful personality shone through during breaks between songs where she would interact with the audience as well as her drummer Andrew Grasso and guitarist Max Landis who were given microphones as a new bit she had been trying. The banter between the three of them was funny to watch and was a nice fun touch in between songs. Something I couldn't help but to notice as she played was the way she'd adorned her guitar with various stickers including a rubber duck, turtle, Keith Haring artwork, and so many more. We get to see her personality come through in all aspects of her performance.

There was a touching moment midway through the show where fans held paper butterflies over their phone lights for her song “god has a sense of humour”, a song about wanting to have hope but feeling hopeless. She was almost brought to tears while acknowledging the thought put into it by a fan that had printed out over 300 of them to hand out to everyone in the audience for this special moment. After such an emotional song, she chose to bring the energy back up with a punk-rock rendition of “Wiggle” by Jason Derulo ft. Snoop Dogg. The idea itself was initially quite funny but it turned out to be an incredible cover, complete with guitar solos between her and her guitarist. 

As the show came to an end she graciously thanked the audience for attending and led into her hit single “abcdefu”, a fantastic, high energy ending to the night. Gayle’s “scared but trying tour” will continue into mid November. Tickets can be purchased at gayleofficial.com