THE WEEKND at Sound Academy, Friday, November 2. Rating: NNNN
The Weeknd’s summer 2011 debut show at the Mod Club was an amazing coming out party for the Toronto R&B sensation, and his four night run at Sound Academy on the eve of his first official release is an equally monumental homecoming. Who else could sell out a venue this huge that many nights in a row without a single record that fans can buy?
Abel Tesfaye has come a long way since that Mod Club gig, but part of me misses that weird tension between cockiness and vulnerability that made the singer’s first public appearance feel like such a genuinely communal event. That look in his face when he walked up to the mic for the first time and almost got drowned out by the crowd singing back lyrics from his free Balloons Trilogy mixtape series isn’t something that can be repeated.
This felt much more like a gig by a seasoned professional on a major label, which has upsides and downsides. The initial whole no press, no label thing positioned him as an outsider, but now he’s part of that system. Instead of buying tickets off scalpers and smuggling in cameras, we’re getting photo pit passes and access to the balcony.
However, it’s down on the floor in the audience that you really appreciate what he’s achieved. As weird as it initially felt hearing him crack jokes in between some of the most grimly dark soul songs ever written, he’s undeniably comfortable onstage now, and sings with the confidence of a veteran. And the crowd is still screaming back every single lyric.
It remains to be seen whether people are going to shell out the cash to buy a sprawling triple album debut that’s been long available for free, but so far he’s won every single long shot gamble he’s made against the traditional music industry so far. Only a fool would bet against him now.
