Despite his success so far, his is “still just getting started” says Kevin Bourne in his Daniel Caesar Superpowers Tour review.
Friday night, Daniel Caesar brought his Superpowers Tour to Toronto as the Oshawa native performed in front of a hometown crowd. Caesar joins an impressive list of hometown heroes who packed out the Scotiabank Arena in their own city in 2023, including NAV and Drake.
Before Caesar took to the stage, opening acts took turns getting the crowd warm. While Toronto’s Charlotte Day Wilson accompanied by fellow Torontonian jazz band BADBADNOTGOOD are a lock to put on a good performance, Moses Sumney stole the show. From his waist movements and dancing, to his naturally deep voice, out of this world vocal range, and his ability to play multiple instruments, Sumney looked like the second coming of Prince as he drew cheers and applause from the crowd.
Then Caesar went through his set, including “Best Part”, “Please Do Not Lean”, “Shot My Baby”, “Superpowers”, “Cool”, and “Get You”. He was joined on stage by Mustafa as the Toronto vibes continued, with the two performing “Toronto 2014”. The brotherhood and playfulness between the two was evident. It was a moment of pride to see two young Black men from the Toronto area come together to perform in a sold out arena; in their own city. It not only marked a celebratory moment for two of Toronto’s still rising stars, but the coming of age of Toronto as a hotbed for global superstars. Thanks to one Aubrey Graham, Toronto is finally learning to be a fan of itself and it’s a beautiful thing to see.
He finally closed with “Always” which drew the biggest crowd reaction of the night. At least we thought it was the end. As Caesar walked to the back, as seen on the video screens, he joined Mustafa and Charlotte Day Wilson for an encore as the trio performed a cover of fellow Canadian, Neil Young’s classic “Old Man”. It wasn’t the only cover of the night though. Earlier, Caesar performed a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep”.
What separates Daniel Caesar from the pack is that his music resonates with such a wide audience, regardless of age or ethnicity. Watching a dark skinned Black man receive so much adoration from people who don’t look like him was both a bit shocking and a source of pride.
What also makes him standout is that he simply makes beautiful music, both sonically and through the content of his writing, which is in stark contrast to the hip-hop and R&B of today. Singing about love almost seems counterculture and rare in 2023. Caesar gave the ladies anthems about love they can sing at the top of their lungs (like 90’s R&B used to do). He also gave the fellas a few alley oops as men in the crowd, who probably couldn’t write a song if their lives depended on it, used Caesar’s words to serenade the ladies in their lives.
Despite the capacity crowd, the show still felt more like an intimate gathering than an arena concert, with Caesar at times sitting down on stage and at other times lying down like he was in his living room at home. There were also no background singers unlike in his previous performances allowing him to connect with the audience one-on-one (or one on 19,000).
The intimacy of the music and relationship between Caesar and his fans was brought home by the serene and minimalist stage design which was mostly white, including when Caesar performed surrounded by white curtains early on in the show. The minimalism was only broken up by the occasional strobe lighting and Caesar’s DC initials being shined brightly onto the crowd.
Sonically, Caesar blurs the lines between R&B crooner and rockstar. At one point, he was joined on stage by a Black guitarist who played an electric guitar solo, even playing behind his head. Jimi Hendrix would be proud.
From his musicianship to his timeless sound, Daniel Caesar is a gifted performer and a talent the Toronto area should be proud of, and despite his success so far, there’s a sense that he’s still just getting started.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toronto-based editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 310 international voters for the 81st Golden Globe Awards by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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