Spencer Sutherland
Phoenix Concert Theatre // Toronto, ON // April 29th, 2019
Photos and review by Magda Knyszynski
Riding off of the success of his recent EP, NONE of this has been about you, Spencer Sutherland joined up with Jack & Jack and Alec Bailey for the Good Friends Are Nice Tour. The tour brought him up North, where he performed in Vancouver and finally in Toronto; his first ever performances in Canada. Prior to the start of the show, we had an opportunity to talk with Spencer about his show and his fans.
Describing his own show, he states, “it’s a high energy performance, I get fans to interact and jump throughout the set.” Being his first big tour, he tries to put on an energetic performance for the fans while also connecting with everyone in the audience. The connections are genuine, as he recalls fans approaching him about how his music has impacted their lives. For Canadian fans, his music isn’t the only thing he can bond over with fans; as he jokingly shares his liking for poutine.
Having recently released music videos for most of the songs on his EP, NONE of this has been about you, the question of where he draws inspiration from came up in our conversation. He highlights that Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson inspire his direction in producing visuals for his songs, where symmetry and warm tones come into play.
As the show starts and Spencer steps on stage, the energy in the venue shifts. The crowd goes absolutely wild, cheering him on. Bathed in a faint red light, he effortlessly goes through tracks, performing singles like “Freaking Out,” while constantly interacting with fans that waited most of the day to see him up close. When the show was described as a high-energy performance, it was not wrong. Fans were in for a treat as Spencer had them swaying and waving, clapping, and jumping along to his songs. Deciding to cover Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings,” he did a fantastic job of hitting all the high notes, to the crowd’s amazement, earning him loud cheers throughout the venue.
Nearing the end of his set, he announced that the next song would be his last to the dismay of the fans. But gave them a bit of hope, as he announced he would be back in Toronto soon. As the opening for “Sweater” began, the audience exerted pure energy as they sang along and jumped around, matching Spencer’s energy on stage. The song went by in an instant, the atmosphere in the venue was electric as people responded to his popular track.
Sutherland’s vocals are phenomenal, where his ability to effortlessly transition between high and low notes while jumping around on stage show his skill in putting on a performance. His show is not something you would want to miss; it is a unique experience that will leave a lasting impression. He embodies genuineness that resounds with any audience he performs in front, connecting with even the fans in the back of the venue.
