After watching his busking videos online, I finally got to hear live in-person, and I am still in awe of the emotions that were on the floor last night with every song he performed. The artist I am referring to is Victor Ray, and I was fortunate enough to attend his Toronto concert last night. In my review, I will share my honest thoughts about what to expect at a future show of his, what could’ve been better at this one, and more. Before you read below, make sure to follow on social media (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook) for more music and concert content! For a visual preview of what to expect, watch the video below!
About
Victor Ray is an artist born in Uganda but raised in Newcastle, England. I first heard of him through his videos of him busking kept appearing on my feeds, and I was immediately drawn to his music because of his impeccable voice and soulful approach in each track. I brought a friend to attend the concert with me, and he asked me what kind of music to expect, and I mentioned that the first thing I think of is soul music because of the passion and strong vocal delivery with significant moments of emphasis and call and responses. However, I also hear the strong R&B influence in his tone and songs that blend so nicely. Throughout the concert, he kept talking about the song he was going to sing next and the personal experience that inspired his songwriting. One of his influences (even influenced his stage name) is one of the best R&B performers of all time, Usher (Raymond). With his blend of soul and R&B, it was a nice surprise when he incorporated Sam Smith’s Stay With Me when performing his song “A Little Less Lonely” and covered Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” as a thank you for showing him love and collaborating on a video together while busking. It’s incredible to see an artist go from busking to touring the world, and this is the second time I have seen an artist progress like this (The Rose and now Victor Ray). Fun fact: one of his popular busking videos of his is when he performed with Teddy Swims which he talked about at the concert and to show his gratitude he performed “Lose Control”.
Tickets and Venue
The tickets were really affordable at approximately $30 CAD after Ticketmaster fees and were easy to get. The tickers are only general admission because it was at the Velvet Underground, 508 Queen Street West, Toronto. This might be the smallest venue in Toronto, and I have seen such a great variety of different artists from rock bands like The Score and The Home Team to Tamil-R&B artists like Priya Ragu. The venue is accessible via public transit and has street parking as well as paid parking nearby, but I ended up walking from The Well, which was about 15 to 20 minutes away. Something to note is that it can get really stuffy and hot, so be mindful of that, and I know my friend and I ended up getting flow waters (1 litre) for $7 to stay hydrated, even though it’s seriously overpriced. Also, it was unfortunate that he wasn’t selling any merch during the concert.
Overall Performance & Recommendations
Since my friend and I were hanging out prior, we were running a bit late for the concert and got there around 8:30 p.m. (doors open at 7), but the opener was still performing. Fun fact: the opener, Sunseto, was opening for Down With Webster when I saw them last December. Victor stepped on stage right before 9 and finished his performance with one encore, 10 minutes past 10 p.m. He kept apologizing for his voice going out, but I couldn’t tell because he sounded incredible in each song, paired with his strong facial expressions, great energy, and intimate connection that he had with the audience. Although I have been listening to Victor’s songs for at least a year now, there were still some songs I wasn’t too familiar with or knew, but didn’t appreciate until he performed live. For instance, songs like “Stay for a While”, “Comfortable”, and “Off Balance” are his popular songs that got everyone moving, but it was songs like “World at My Feet”, “Hearts Break and People Change”, and “Sink or Swim” that were just so powerful hearing them live. However, since Victor openly talked about his relationship with his parents, and especially his dad, before performing the song the lyrics painted such a clear story that I was legitamely fighting tears at the concert when he performed “Popcorn and a Smoothie” and I was crying in the car when listening to it today after going to the gym. I really didn’t want him to finish his concert because his music was powerful, his voice was beautiful, and together, it was an emotional rollercoaster I wasn’t ready to get off of. He also incorporated Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me” while performing his song “A Little Less Lonely”.
All in all, I strongly recommend you check out Victor Ray next time he is performing in your city! You can expect great moments and performances like this, and I really hope he can perform at bigger venues and hopefully open for and collaborate with artists like Teddy Swims, Dermot Kennedy, and Ed Sheeran on a bigger tour/concert. My only recommendation on what can be better for Victor Ray is to sell merchandise, especially his vinyls and other mementos, for the crowd to take home after witnessing his performance. Let me know if you went to the concert or plan on going to af future show in the comments below or on social media by following me on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook for more music, Toronto, and concert content!