Alex Warren holds Shawn Mendes to a high standard.
Last night (July 7), the American singer-songwriter gave a shout-out to the Canadian hitmaker in his hometown while performing at RBC Amphitheatre on the Toronto stop of his debut arena headline tour, the Little Orphan Alex Live tour. In an address to the crowd, he praised Mendes' live concert during one of many comedic quips.
"Thank you very much for coming to my show. Do not go to Shawn Mendes right after this, you'll realize how terrible this one is," the singer-songwriter joked onstage. He also complimented the singer's looks, saying "God' that man is hot," and revealed to the crowd that the "Señorita" vocalist has never eaten poutine.
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While the pair have yet to collaborate, they were spotted in the studio together in New York, and Warren has been vocal of his love for Mendes' artistry. He cites him as a key influence and met him . Back in 2023, the singer ran into the Toronto native at Coachella and the pair had a wholesome conversation, before crossing paths again at a vocal lesson the following day, as it turned out that they shared the same vocal coach.
"Shawn was one of those people who got me into music, where I was truly a fan of his," Warren shared in an interview with Z100 New York. "I go up to him and I was like, 'Hey, dude, I just wanted to say you've gotten me into music when I was suffering,' and immediately, whatever he was doing, he looked straight at me. He was fully attentive, actually cared and I could tell."
Warren also revealed to the crowd that he went fishing in Lake Ontario before hitting the stage at the lakefront venue, with clips online showing him walking along the Toronto waterfront and actively attempting to catch fish. In between hits, he continued to laugh with the Toronto crowd, keeping fans engaged with countless jokes and his signature humour all night long.
In an interview with iHeartRadio Canada, Warren also spoke about Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho's polarizing use of "Ordinary" as his walk-up music and revealed he follows him on Instagram.
Warren's concert had no shortage of flashy moments, including inviting two young fans all the way from the lawn to partake in his longstanding tradition of setting off a confetti button during his anthemic track "Fever Dream." He opened his show with loads of fireworks and sparkly pyrotechnics.
