Concert Review: SOHN, Mr. Little Jeans @ The Horseshoe, Toronto, Ontario
We first featured SOHN about a year and a half ago, and have fallen deeper in love with each release. The London singer, based out of Vienna, was in Toronto last night for the 2nd time.
Mr. Little Jeans at The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (Copyright: PeteHatesMusic / Martin Bazyl Photography)
Before we got to enjoy SOHN, we got a chance to enjoy Mr. Little Jeans, who I admitted knew nothing about. The 3-piece had songs that built in complexity and catchiness as the set went on. Fronted by a female with a good indie pop voice, they showed their craft of mid tempo, pop and rock tracks.
Some early banter included “It’s nice outside but hot inside right? Let’s be hot together.” I’ve waited my whole life for a girl to say that!
Mr. Little Jeans at The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (Copyright: PeteHatesMusic / Martin Bazyl Photography)
My Little Jeans had some shimmering electronic pop tracks thrown in at the end that wouldn’t sound out of place in an ad – I’m thinking car commercial. However, the stand out track at the end was a slow, dark electro pop song, which gave off some Lana Del Rey vibes (and heck, from afar she even kind of looks like her). The track was an Arcade Fire cover of The Suburbs, albeit a slower version. A surprisingly solid set and a band I will be sure to check out.
The headliner was SOHN, and he came on around 10:30 and played for an hour. He had his stage set up featuring tubes of light, as per his wicked 4AD Session videos.
SOHN at The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (Copyright: PeteHatesMusic / Martin Bazyl Photography)
SOHN looked a little like Breaking Bad’s Jesse Pinkman in the dark room, rocking a hoodie the entire set. The theme of the night, and it was a good one, was sustained synth notes over an electronic beat, varying in complexity from track to track.
The blue lights in the lead track gave way to red lights. SOHN was helped by 2 people on stage – a keyboardist and a guitarist. These guys help provide the cascade of sounds that closed the track.
SOHN at The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (Copyright: PeteHatesMusic / Martin Bazyl Photography)
Album title track Tremors featured great vocals and a dominant beat AND a new colour of lights. And I think I’ll stop talking about these damn (but awesome) lights.
The snapping beat of Bloodflows brought cheers from the crowd, and SOHN did the studio version justice.
SOHN at The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (Copyright: PeteHatesMusic / Martin Bazyl Photography)
SOHN continued to play dark, electro pop tracks with synth-led sounds and cool light effects, with songs often having layers and layers of sounds by the end. SOHN also exhibited good vocals during a capella moments, too.
Lessons, with its Pink Floyd “On the Run” mimicking intro, seemed to captivate the audience, with its strong beginning and incredibly strong finish, and ended the regular set.
SOHN at The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (Copyright: PeteHatesMusic / Martin Bazyl Photography)
The encore opened with Artiface, getting the biggest cheer of the night. SOHN then closed with The Wheel, with its vocal repetitions and great percussion beat.
SOHN impressed me in several respects. His vocals were spot on. His stage set up seemed simple – tubes of light! – but the changing colours and timing of the flashes added a subtle and simple dimension to the set. The coordination of the lights with the tracks also helped. The overall sound and mix was very good, as were the building, layered tracks. A solid performance from top to bottom from Sith Lord Jesse Pinkman.
For even more colourful photos, check out our Facebook album of the show, and always check out the photo site of Martin Bazyl Photography, just because.
SOHN at The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto (Copyright: PeteHatesMusic / Martin Bazyl Photography)
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PHM Rating for Mr Little Jeans: 7.5/10
PHM Rating for SOHN: 8.5 out of 10
