On what was a gloomy Monday night, those willing to make the trek out to the Hard Rock Casino were well-rewarded by a performance for the ages from rocker Yungblud. His growth as an artist and performer from his 2019 Bluesfest set is staggering, and the sky is the limit for the English singer.
Opening the concert was Sawyer Hill, a seemingly-odd pairing with the modern alt-rock of Yungblud. That said, his earnest grunge-infused indie-rock struck a chord with the audience. His soulful voice paired with the crunchy guitar riffs would’ve fit nicely in the late ’90s post-grunge timeline, and by the end of his set, his rendition of “High On My Lows” had earned him plenty of new fans in the crowd, based on the cheers.
If anyone questions why Yungblud has been hailed as ‘the future of rock’, a set like Monday should quell any doubts. His stage presence, performance and charisma, in addition to powerful vocals, make him one of the most magnetic rock front men since the late Scott Weiland. Equal parts Jagger swagger, vintage Iggy Pop energy, dashes of Jane’s Addiction Perry Ferrell attitude and Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan looks, at 28 years old, he’s already in the top tier and about to hit superstardom.
At first glance, a 14-song set including the two song encore might seem a bit short for a headliner. But, when you factor in nine-minute show opener “Hello Heaven, Hello”, and “Changes”, which stretched out almost ten minutes with the fan singalong, it was a packed set. The constant imploring for fans to get hyped ensured everyone was quite spent by the end.
Ottawa was treated to one of the very first performances of his new single “My Only Angel,” a collaboration with rock legends Aerosmith, released last week, after they performed together for an Ozzy Osbourne tribute at the MTV Video Music Awards earlier this month. While this version lacked an appearance by Steven Tyler or Joe Perry, Yungblud more than made up for their absence.
Based on the demographic of the crowd, many likely took notice of Yungblud after his star-making performance at that tribute concert, where his impeccable rendition of “Changes” became one of the enduring highlights of the show. Those new fans were certainly not disappointed with his performance Monday of that cover, which he vows to perform at every show to honour the late Ozzy Osbourne.
For fans that pre-date him going viral this year, his set included early singles “Tin Pan Boy” and “Loner,” but the majority of his set focused on his newer material, mainly from his Idols album released this June. In addition to opening with “Hello Heaven, Hello,” the set featured among others follow-up single “Lovesick Lullaby,” and closed with “Ghosts” and “Zombie,” his most recent Top 20 hit.
After investing so much energy into getting the crowd to let loose, it finally started paying off, even inducing a decent sized mosh pit. No easy feat on a Monday night in Ottawa. By the end of his encore, the connection between the artist and his fanbase was clearly well established, with the singer noticeably sentimental in promising to return on his next tour. It would be a shock if anyone who attended this one will ever miss a chance to see him when he returns.
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