It is the 42nd anniversary of Canadian Music Week, which runs from June 1st to 8th, 2024. This festival is a wonderful way to experience music in different genres in venues ranging from The Budweiser stage to the Painted Lady. It is also a great way to discover new music from emerging artists.
I kicked off my Canadian Music Week experience with Walk Off The Earth and their show on June 1st at the Budweiser Stage. The openers were MICO and Taylor Acorn. This was my first time hearing their music, and I was impressed by their stage presence and cross-genre musical style.
MICO is a soulful artist with a pop/rock sound similar to Olivia Rodrigo. He performed original songs including, one of my new-found favourites “Better.” A personal highlight was his cover of “Obsessed” by Olivia Rodrigo, as the crowd went wild.
Next was Taylor Acorn. I always appreciate when artists open up about their personal experiences. Acorn shared how she struggled with mental health which inspired her to write the song “Certified Depressant.” It was an emotional performance with lyrics such as, “I’m a wreck, I’m a mess / I’m a certified depressant. / Overthink, second guess / Am I happy or pretending?” Taylor is a storyteller and that’s what captivated me most about her set.
The energy was explosive as Walk Off The Earth landed on stage. The setlist did not disappoint. They performed newer singles released this year like “On The Road” and “Catching Feelings” as well as throwbacks “I’ll Be There,” “Rule The World,” and “Red Hands.” They also engaged the crowd with some covers which can be seen in the videos linked below. My favourite songs they performed were Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” and “A History Of The Beatles.”
As a Walk Off The Earth fan, it was wonderful to see them live for the first time. I love how they shouted out Toronto and the Canadian music scene. It was great to see how much fun they were having on stage.
Watch clips from their covers of “Stick Season” and “Somebody That I Used To Know” here
