Paramore's Hayley Williams is returning to Toronto on her own, playing back-to-back nights at Massey Hall. The pop-rock star is celebrating her Grammy-nominated album, Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party, with two sold-out shows in the city.
U.K. rapper Dave is bringing his signature soulful introspection to the west coast, while Cardi B plays back-to-back nights in two Ontario cities. Montreal-based singer Magi Merlin plays a hometown show showcasing her unique brand of alternative R&B and soul, and Canadian singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards performs her innovative alt-country and folk sound in Calgary.
Concert of the Week
Hayley Williams, Massey Hall, Toronto — March 31; April 1
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“I’ll be the biggest star,” Hayley Williams sings on the title track of her third solo album, Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party. In some ways, she manifested her reality.
The Paramore leader is gearing up to perform two sold-out nights at Toronto’s Massey Hall — the only Canadian dates on her solo headlining tour. It was less than a year ago that Williams released Ego Death — but in an unconventional way. Last August, she shared individual singles on her website and later uploaded them to streaming platforms.
With the help of fans, she named the LP, sorted out the tracklist and officially released the album as a full body of work at the end of the month, with an additional single, “Parachute” tacked on. She added two more songs (“Good Ol’ Days,” “Showbiz”) before capping it at 20 songs. “We wanted to make music tangible again,” the singer’s co-manager, Leah Hodgkiss, told Billboard.
Ego Death secured Williams her first-ever solo Grammy nominations and served as a turning point for the Mississippi-born singer. It became her highest charting album in the U.S., peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard 200. When she quietly announced her forthcoming tour dates on her ’90s computer desktop-themed website, fans quickly noticed that Williams was scheduled to play quite small venues in comparison to her growing fanbase.
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Tickets for Williams’ sole Canadian date sold out instantly, with many fans left empty-handed. In an effort to take a stance against ticket resellers, the singer has opted into Ticketmaster’s face value resale program, leaving some hope for listeners of the “Ice In My OJ” singer — except for the racist or anti-trans fans.
This trek marks Williams’ first outing on her own, following Paramore’s stadium opening slot in Europe for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour two years ago. Williams was gearing up to tour her first solo record, Petals For Armor, at the beginning of the decade, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic and never rescheduled.
Dave, Thunderbird Sports Centre, Vancouver — March 28
“After a lifetime,” Dave says on social media, he’s coming back to Canada — his first shows here in four years. The U.K. singer and rapper is hitting the road in support of his album, The Boy Who Played the Harp, which peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart last year. Known for his signature soulful storytelling, he blends his rap sensibilities with powerful live instrumentation that keeps concertgoers captivated.
Cardi B, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto – March 30; TD Coliseum, Hamilton — March 31
ICYMI: Cardi B is coming to Ontario — playing back-to-back nights in the province, including a nearly sold-out show in Toronto and one that’s about 80% sold-out in Hamilton. Addressing the latter concert, the New York rapper took to social media to share her frustration: "Y'all better go buy them tickets. Y'all not breaking my perfectly sold-out streak. I'm not playing with y'all Banadians." Well, you heard her!
After supporting R&B songstress Yaya Bey on tour at the beginning of the year, Montreal-based alternative soul singer Magi Merlin is embarking on a headlining tour of her own, where she'll play a show at the intimate venue Casa del Popolo, in what she calls “her first hometown show in forever,” on social media. She’ll be joined by a string of local artists, including Jashim, Béli, Fraud Perry and Nkusi. “Show up or I’m holding a grudge,” she joked.
Kathleen Edwards, Bella Concert Hall, Calgary — April 1
One of the forebears of modern alt-country and folk, singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards is spending an evening in Western Canada in support of her acclaimed album, Billionaire. Since her debut in the early 2000s, the Ottawa native has become a staple in the Canadian music songbook — with tracks like “Soft Place to Land” and “Goodnight, California” — known for her lyrical sharpness and unflinching life observations that elevate her on-stage performance.
