Publishing date: Nov, 28, 2025
I was 17 when I first discovered Blood Orange through their hit song “Charcoal Baby”. Nearly 7 years later, I finally got to experience Blood Orange on stage at Toronto’s HISTORY. A legendary show known as the return of Devonté Hynes, as it was the last time he performed in Toronto, in 2014 at The Danforth Music Hall. This past August, Hynes released his sixth album, “Essex Honey”, a new sound for Blood Orange filled with various instruments. From Synths to Hand Drums, we saw it all on stage on November 19th.
The night was opened by Look At You, where Hynes picked up every instrument, showing us his range of talents. From vocals to playing the Cello, the crowd was quickly in awe of every moment Hynes brought to the stage. The show started out slow, but Hynes quickly brought the energy with Jesus Freak Lighter, which had the whole room singing along.
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As the crowd began to warm up, we got to hear the rest of the band: Tariq Saleem Al-Sabir, Dillon Treacy, Ian Isiah, and Toronto’s own Eva Tolkin. The harmonies brought by Isiah and Tolkin in the song Best to You had the room jumping, especially during the iconic beat drop. It felt as if you were the only person in the room, even when there are 2,500 people surrounding you.
One thing Hynes knows how to do is bring people together. Playing a number of his older songs, I could tell everyone around me felt the same nostalgia as I did. When the song “Charcoal Baby” came on, I instinctively turned to the person to my right and said, “This was the first song I ever heard of his,” and she agreed. In that moment, I realized how grateful I was to be witnessing this live. Hynes himself even said, “Blood Orange has not toured much”.
There is something about screaming lyrics to a song you loved as a teenager, and now witnessing live in your 20s. The viral sensation song Champagne Toast had everyone around me holding back tears. The song, being primarily upbeat, managed to create a range of emotions throughout the crowd. From my perspective, I felt like I was my 17-year-old self again.
@laceyaftuck Blood Orange, Toronto Canada —unreal experience 😫💫 #viral #toronto #bloodorange #concerts
The night ended with everyone’s favourite song, Time Will Tell, where Toronto’s own Eva Tolkin left the room in awe of her vocals. The originality, the uniqueness, and the harmonies in this band left me saying that this was easily one of the best shows I’ve ever been to. It’s not often you go to a concert, and you see the lead singer switch from vocals to piano, to cello, to saxophone. Blood Orange will forever be known as a band that blends musical skill with their captivating stage presence. With the show being a mix of emotional vulnerability, upbeat danceable moments, and a combination of both new and old classics, the performance spoke for itself.
“Thank you, take care” were his last words as he left the stage, to applause from the audience. The lights turned on, and now I’m back to my 24-year-old self, yet this time, feeling more fulfilled than before.
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