By keith valfreya | january 17, 2025
I arrive at History and the sign informs me that tonight’s show, Jamie XX, is sold out. It’s the first of two nights here in Toronto. The current that follows the release of his second studio album as a solo act, Waves.
It’s a cold night and the crowd that’s formed outside the venue is visibly relieved when the doors unlock. By the time I reach the stage, the opening act, Chinelo, has already started warming them up.
The venue is large, but as Jamie XX takes the stage it’s also packed, and the anticipation is palpable. The set design and lighting are minimal but not lacking. A disco ball hangs in the middle of the room, and a simple DJ booth with modest lighting sits in front of three large screens which cover almost the entirety of the rest of the stage. Once the evening is in full swing, they will simply show the crowd. A wide, almost directly overhead shot interspersed with close-ups of dancing from an in-crowd camera operator. Arms flying, bodies twisting, no real identifiable face or forms, just a frenetic fever dream of movement.
It feels like a thoughtful emphasis on the audience over the artist. The screens almost serve as a mirror, as if to say, this is what you are really here for. Yourself, the moment, each other. Making a room of 2500 people feel like an intimate underground club is no easy feat, but this is about as close I can imagine getting.
The night unfolds as a DJ set with a strong focus on music from Jamie’s past work and collaborations, both as a solo artist and as a member of The XX. The set features a few musical monologues about living authentically, and in the present. To help facilitate this state of mind, Jamie carefully crafts the more ambient spaces between high energy moments. They’re not just a series of build ups to a drop, they’re important, rich experiences of their own. He masterfully transitions between these introspective moments and euphoric club energy in what feels like guided meditation meets sweaty rave.
When combined with his recognizable sound of moody rhythms with soft edges, it feels like living a memory in a real time. A love letter to that one sweaty underground rave that repeats in your mind like a movie. A manifesto of surrendering to the moment, and to the dancefloor. And a reminder that you can only find yourself, when you allow yourself to become lost. At least for a night.
Keith Valfreya is a freelance photojournalist for Majestic Music Magazine. See more of his work here
