TOBIAS JESSO JR. at Mod Club, Friday, October 9. Rating: NNNN
At first it seemed like a second opening act had been slipped onto the bill, but eventually the traditional jazz band playing acoustically at the back of the room made their way to the stage, where Tobias Jesso Jr. was waiting at the piano. He later introduced his backing band as the Ducks, and their horn section and rhythmic sensibilities brought his sensitive singer-songwriter piano pop sound closer to vintage R&B ballads, making the songs feel much more upbeat than you’d guess from his debut album, Goon.
At one point he explained to the crowd that he’d always thought of himself as a songwriter, not a singer, and apologized for any bad notes he might hit. There may have been a few here and there, but that vulnerability is also part of his appeal. Ignoring for a minute the gender stereotypes of a term like dad rock, Jesso might be best described as mom rock: the comfortable retro thing is there, but none of the machismo, and he’s unabashedly soft in his approach. It’s the kind of thing that could come across as insincere, but Jesso pulls it off through sheer likeable charisma.
benjaminb@nowtoronto.com | @benjaminboles