If you’ve been online at all in the past few years, you’ve probably heard “Earrings,” “Roommates” or “Chest Pain (I Love)” at some point (and if you haven’t, I’m a little jealous you get to hear them for the first time). Malcolm Todd started out making bedroom pop, and on October 18 he played to a sold-out PNE Forum on his Do That Again tour.

Photos by Jorina Lee/ @jorina.jpg

Walking in, the first thing I noticed was all the red. Half the crowd had on Do That Again shirts, some from the merch stand and some homemade. The stage setup was pretty simple, but I never felt like anything was missing. Most of the show happened on the big LED screen behind the band, and the visuals ended up being some of my favourite parts of the night.

Photos by Jorina Lee/ @jorina.jpg

54 Ultra opened, and he was so fun to watch. By the end of his set, everyone was up and dancing and somehow even more excited than when they walked in.

Then came the band intro, and honestly, every concert should start like this. Malcolm’s band came out one at a time, each name announced over the speakers and on the screen like players at a basketball game, and the crowd cheered just as loud for every single one. Then he was introduced as “6’4 without his shoes” (which, from where I was standing, seemed accurate). He walked out in a tie-dye graphic tee, white pants and a plush headband with what looked like snail eyes on it. At one point he grabbed a Canadian flag and ran around the stage with his band. They were clearly having so much fun, and it was hard not to have fun with them.

He opened with “Jean Skirt” and “Breathe,” then played “Malcolm In The Middle,” “Free.99” and “Sweet Boy.” Even with a sold-out crowd, it felt really laid back, like he was just hanging out with us. Usually with artists who blew up from a viral song, you can tell exactly which songs people know because that’s when the crowd suddenly gets loud. That wasn’t the case here. People were just as loud for songs like “You Owe Me” as they were for the ones that took off online, which says a lot about his fans.

Photos by Jorina Lee/ @jorina.jpg

A lot of my favourite moments came from the screen. Old movie clips played throughout the night, and “Walk To Class” came with a montage of school scenes. For “X’s & O’s,” he spoke into an old red telephone while the screen put him next to clips of movie characters on the phone. Before “Make Me A Better Man,” a handwritten note came up over the live shot of him kneeling at the front of the stage: “Can anyone in here make me a better man? Love, Malcolm.” It was such a small thing, but I loved it.

He moved to the piano for the next few songs, and during “Good Bye” the whole venue lit up with flashlights. That was probably the quietest the room got all night. “Chest Pain (I Love)” came with a heart-wrenching montage of rom-com moments, plus scenes from WALL-E, Up and Good Will Hunting. Putting Good Will Hunting in a rom-com montage is a choice, but I’m not mad about it (and it’s pretty fitting for a song with “I Love” in the title).

“I Saw Your Face” is one of my favourites off Do That Again, so hearing it live, with a bit of “Zip Up My Fly” thrown in, was a highlight for me. After that, instead of the usual dark stage and chanting for an encore, the screen started asking questions: “Should I go back to scooping ice cream?” “Should I sing another song?” “Should I???”  Then it cut to a Magic 8 Ball, which landed on “Do That Again.” Malcolm came back out for the title track while clips from his childhood and old music videos played behind him.

Photos by Jorina Lee/ @jorina.jpg

Next up was a cover of the iCarly theme song. If you grew up on Nickelodeon, you already know how loud that room got. I couldn’t have picked a better three-song encore myself. He ended the night with “Roommates,” and everyone was jumping and screaming. It was one of the most fun mosh pits I’ve ever been in, and my legs are still recovering.

I walked out of the Forum already wondering when he’ll be back. Between the band, the visuals and a crowd that knew every word, not just the viral ones, it’s one of the most fun shows I’ve been to this year. So if anyone’s shaking a Magic 8 Ball about a Vancouver return, my answer’s easy: do that again.

 Setlist:

Jean Skirt

Breathe

Malcolm in the Middle

Free.99

Difficult Love

Ain’t That the Truth

Walk to Class

Bleed

You Owe Me

X’s & O’s

Obsessica

4Me 4Me

Mr. Incorrect

Sweet Boy

Make Me a Better Man

Gun To My Head

Good Bye

Cheer Me On

Chest Pain (I Love)

Earrings

I Saw Your Face

Encore

Do That Again

iCarly Theme Song

Roommates

Photos by Jorina Lee/ @jorina.jpg

Looking for a show to attend? Head to AdmitONE to buy tickets!

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