Judah & the Lion have a new album, a busy schedule, and will open for Arkells at Budweiser Stage on June 22. But before they do, they hit The Hideout during Canadian Music Week for a special, intimate show that kicked off our week!
StubHub invited us and some other music lovers and fans to the show to see the Take It All Back hitmakers on Tuesday night, so here's a thank you for that. And we're sure that the 20 or so fans that were waiting at the front of the line want to say thank you as well for the meet and greet that they got about half an hour before the doors opened for the show.
For about an hour, the band ripped through new songs and crowd favourites as the room got hot, sweaty, jumped, sang, danced, and cheered for the Nashville boys. It was loud on stage, and loud in the crowd, and the hour felt short but packed. We're sure that the Toronto crowd would have stayed for more with all kinds of love and excitement.
There was a really great energy in the room for a Tuesday night. And it flowed both ways. The band was on fire from the first song, and the crowd gave it all right back to them. And when Judah came off the low stage to sing and dance with the fans, it all came together as a perfect fit of live music magic.
Another unexpected magical moment came when Judah & the Lion broke into All The Small Things, giving that nostalgia and surprise factor that can be a great bonus spot in any show.
The new album, Pep Talks was released on May 3, and the show featured some of the new tracks including Don't Mess With My Mama, Why Did You Run?, and Pep Talk. Shows right after the release of new music always have a little feeling of 'what's going to happen, what's the reaction going to be?', and this time, it all worked out just fine!
The 17-song album is meaty, has a couple of HUGE tracks, two feature slots (Kacey Musgraves on pictures, and Jon Bellion on Passion), and does what a lot of new albums don't: Gives us a full listening experience that doesn't leave us wondering where the rest of the album is. If you haven't hit play on Pep Talks yet, now is the time.
There's always something special about getting to see a band that's bigger than the room they're playing in. Everyone in the room knew that they may never get another chance to be in a crowd this small, this close to Judah & the Lion again. They are moving onto big things with big stages and big crowds, and Tuesday night at The Hideout on College Street in Toronto was a bonus, a unique and memorable experience for the fortunate fans in attendance.
Before the band closed the show with Take It All Back, Judah made a point of telling the room how much they appreciate the growing support they are receiving in Toronto and across Canada. And he added that one of their goals, as they move forward, is to make Canada a priority on their touring schedule.
We can't wait.
