WASIA PROJECT AT MASSEY HALL
BY ARLINEnglish jazz-pop duo Wasia Project performed to a sold out audience two nights in a row at Toronto’s iconic Massey Hall, supporting Laufey on her Bewitched: The Goddess Tour. The sibling duo consists of vocalist Olivia Hardy, and William Gao on piano and background vocals; they are also joined by bassist Tom Pacitti and drummer Luca Wade. Like myself you may be familiar with Gao from his portrayal of Tao Xu in the LGBTQ+ hit series Heartstopper, which also happens to feature a song at the emotional end of season two by Wasia Project titled “ur so pretty”, their biggest hit with over 48 million streams to date.
Wasia Project’s jazz-pop musical style with classical influences compliments Laufey’s performance beautifully, setting the tone for the night ahead. They performed a combination of upbeat songs and some slower melancholic ones. Hardy’s vocals are passionate and ethereal, and Gao is a natural on the piano, every song leaves you wanting more. They’re the type of band that makes me wish opening acts had encores!
“Burning Eyes R Calling” was a particularly memorable one as it was an up-tempo version of the original, complete with a piano solo from Gao to end it off; as well as “My Lover Is Sleeping” and “Remember When” which were simply beautiful.
Wasia Project are approaching the end of their tour run with Laufey, but don’t fret! They have a few shows of their own coming up throughout the year that you won’t want to miss, tickets can be purchased through wasiaproject.com
