By Xavier Eeswaran
Grammy award-winning artist, Daniel Caesar, brought his Case Study 01: Tour for two sold-out shows to Budweiser Stage on Sept. 28 and 29. Caesar’s set on Sept. 29 began with the opening skit of his newest album’s first song, “ENTROPY,” which was accompanied with black and red visuals shown on the curtains.
After the skit ended, Toronto hip-hop pioneer Kardinal Offishall ran out of the curtains before giving a UFC-esque intro for Oshawa-born Daniel Caesar, while the background singers sang the vocals to “CYANIDE.”
The crowd roared as Caesar ran out and held the microphone to the audience to sing the lyrics before he jumped in. Caesar, wearing a white t-shirt and black joggers, was visibly in awe of the approximately 16,000 fans.
“I’ve been a lot of places on tour and there’s nowhere like home,” said Caesar before the crowd responded with a roar. His performance of “CYANIDE” included a previously unheard verse from Jamaican teenage sensation Koffee, who has been the opener for the majority of shows thus far on the Case Study 01: Tour.
After his electric opener, Caesar followed up with his performance of “Love Again.” Soon after, he demonstrated his range as a vocalist as he sat on a stool and sang stripped down versions of “OPEN UP,” “VIOLET” and “COMPLEXITIES.” He then showcased his versatility as an artist, grabbing an acoustic guitar for “Hold Me Down” and “ARE YOU OK?”
Caesar’s band performed the entire night behind a transparent black curtain, accompanied by two background singers to his left and right. The singers came behind Caesar with guitar in hand for their performance of “TOO DEEP TO TURN BACK,” which made for a great live performance, as the track is built solely on an acoustic guitar and background vocals. The show featured fantastic visuals for every song, such as a beautiful visual of Kali Uchis behind Caesar for “Get You,” and a pole dancer for “Who Hurt You?”
The highlight of the show was his rendition of “SUPERPOSITION,” where the crowd was lit up with cellphone lights and lighters resembling stars shining in the night sky.
Photo courtesy danielcaesar on Instagram
Daniel Caesar will return to Canada for the tail-end of his tour with shows in Montreal, Halifax, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, and Edmonton before wrapping up with two shows in Vancouver.
The 24 year-old young star has come a very long way from singing on park tables in Trinity Bellwoods.