Shad Live at the Opera House

A showcase of Canadian hip hop at the Opera House with Shad, D-Sisive, Ian Kamau, Odario Williams & more

ShadandD-Sisiveplayed to a packed crowd at the Opera House on Saturday night, calling upon a number of impressive local guest musicians to join the party. From indie rock to hip hop, the Canadian music scene was well represented as D and Shad delivered back-to-back high energy sets to their Toronto fans.

With the success of Shad's new albumTSOLand the anticipation building for D-Sisive's forthcoming LPVaudeville, it's no wonder the Opera House quickly approached capacity for D's opening set.

D-Sisive Live at the Opera House D-Sisive Live at the Opera House

DirtyManhandled the decks andMunseshinejumped on a mic for the majority of D-Sisive's set, in which he rolled through favourites from his first two albums as well as new tracks fromVaudeville, which was available to buy on CD in advance of the official June 22 release date.

Muneshine Live at the Opera House

The title tracks from bothJonestownandLet the Children Diewere well received by the predominantly male audience, who are clearly also fans ofCoconut Records(Jason Schwartzman) based on their reaction to "West Coast." Toronto hip hop heads went off when he launched into a cover of Saukrates' anthem "Wednesday" midway through the set.

D-Sisive Live at the Opera House D-Sisive Live at the Opera House

While D-Sisive's offbeat sense of humour may have caught some newcomers off guard, most of the crowd appreciated when he simulated live instrumentation with his hands, especially his air mandolin. He ended his set with a bang in the form of "Shotgun Wedding."

After a quick changeover, Shad wandered on stage with his DJ and a bassist/keyboardist eager to keep the party going. Like D-Sisive, Shad's lyrics are literate, witty, introspective and immersed in pop culture references and self-deprecating humour. Shadrach is by no means your average rapper.

It was great to see him pick up his guitar to play "Rock To It" from his self-released first albumWhen This is Over. HisOld Princedays were showcased too, with the crowd rapping along to every line of "I Don't Like To" and "The Old Prince Still Lives at Home."

Shad Live at the Opera House Shad Live at the Opera House Ian Kamau Live at the Opera House

He called upon a few of the guests featured onTSOL, including one of the most underappreciated voices in Toronto hip hop:Ian Kamau(pictured above). Do yourself a favour and download his latest mixtapeVol. 3: Love & Other Strugglesviausershare. Check out the video below if you fear that you're wasting your bandwidth.

Shad Live at the Opera House Brendan Canning Live at the Opera House

Lisa Lobsinger (Reverie Sound Revue)came out withBroken Social Scenebandmate Brendan Canning to help Shad out for a few tracks, including a rousing rendition of his latest single "Rose Garden."

Shad Odario Williams Grand Analog Shad Odario Williams Grand Analog

Last but definitely not least, Odario Williams ofGrand Analogmade an appearance to perform "Electric City" with Shad. Their combined energy and stage experience together had the crowd going wild, which makes sense considering their longstanding history of touring and recording together.

Shad Odario Williams Grand Analog

Shad closed out his set with "I Get Down," "Keep Shining" and part two of his hilarious self-commentary about being "Out Of Love." With a stellar new album that showcases a natural gift for rhyming and a powerful stage presence to match his enthusiasm and talent, Shad is a force to be reckoned with in the Canadian hip hop scene.

Shad Live at the Opera House

All photos byMatthew McAndrew.


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