JID10.22.25
Toronto, ON
With the Jays in the midst of a deep playoff run, it's hard to remember that live music is still a thing. I skipped out on Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist's show on Sunday to catch the Jays game live instead — sorry Freddie, but no regrets on that one, with the Jays winning that one handily. But luckily, this JID show fell on an off day, in the days leading up to the World Series. So, this JID show was officially my first show since moving to Toronto, when for months I thought it would be Freddie. I'm sure Freddie will be back, though, and October baseball is timeless, so the decision didn't tear me apart. JID's new album, God Does Like Ugly is another solid effort. I saw him open for 21 Savage last year in Vancouver, which ironically was my first show after moving there. So I guess I can only see JID shows if I move to a new city.
This show was way out at Rebel, which I have been to once before, for Jessie Ware around the same time of year in 2023. Literally October 23rd, 2023, just a day off a full two years. Feels like it's been longer than that though. But yeah, Rebel is kinda in the middle of nowhere, in Toronto's port lands. Very odd location for a club / concert venue, with just a single bus line connecting it to the rest of the city. I remember in 2023, having to walk back to the city after the show, and ending up near the St. Lawrence Market area, which was about a 40 minute walk. And funnily enough, that's where I now live in Toronto.
I didn't arrive super early for this show, and by the time I arrived, I had missed the first opener, Chris Patrick, and the second opener, Swavay, was about halfway through his set. The venue was already pretty packed, with slightly obstructed sightlines near the back, in an area that would typically be used for tables in a club setting. Note to self: arrive earlier at Rebel next time, to actually be on the dancefloor.
JID had great energy though, which came as no surprise, since he was honestly the highlight of that 21 Savage show last year. He played lots of tracks off the new album, my favourites being "YouUgly", "VCRs", and "Sk8". Glad he played through Vince Staples' entire verse in "VCRs". He didn't play "Sk8" in full though, which I like for how bouncy it is. He played some older cuts too, like "NEVER" and "Surround Sound". To end the show, he jumped into the crowd for "For Keeps", a song that itself is an ode to his fans, and signed lots of autographs for everyone up front.
