Blood Orange’s Long-Awaited Homecoming at Toronto’s HISTORY

Written and Captured By | Zach Hood

Even before Blood Orange stepped on stage, the evening already had a personality of its own thanks to opener Le Keep. They walked out with a bottle of Canadian Club, opening it casually and placing it— as if part of their kit— beside the mic stand. The vibe was set: loose, a little chaotic, abundantly Toronto. At one point, they flung a tambourine across the stage in the middle of a song before catching it again later with stunning accuracy. The crowd roared. It was messy, it wasn’t rehearsed; it was iconic in the way great openers often are: unexpected and unforgettable enough that we were still talking about it long after the lights came back up.

We at History Toronto were leaning into it already, even before the headlining set began. There’s something special about a stop on tour when it’s been years since the artist last passed through, and for Devonté Hynes—aka Blood Orange—that’s exactly what it was. His last major Toronto show was back in 2014 at the Danforth Music Hall, which meant this room was packed with folks who had been waiting a decade to hear these songs live. Hynes began with “Look At You” and led with Essex Honey material, his setlist moving downward through eras of his discography in an order that made the evening feel curated rather than simply chosen. It was clear right away that this wasn’t a “play the favourites” type of show—he was building something layered, moody, and deliberate.

One of the first things you notice about Hynes live is how he moves between instruments. Keyboard, electric guitar, acoustic guitar—he rotates through them with the kind of grace that avoids the clunky transitions most artists need. When he picked up the electric for “The Train (King’s Cross),” the whole room shifted from reflective to fully charged, the lights angling into sharp whites and amber beams that punched out from the haze.

A highlight of the night came during “Mind Loaded,” when the city went collectively quiet. Toronto is a loud place, but we can listen well, and this was one of those rare live music moments where the whole room seems to lock in at the same time. He thanked Toronto for the turnout and the comeback warmth, and the cheers in return had a distinct “welcome back” energy.

Hynes himself isn’t a theatrics-heavy performer. He doesn’t have to be. His power is narration—precise arranging, subtle movement, knowing when to groove with the band and when to pull our eye. But when he smiled at us, it landed. It didn’t feel rehearsed.

He closed with “Champagne Coast” and “Charcoal Baby,” and the room lifted. People filmed, people danced, people held the moment the way you do when you’re holding something rare. The applause was immediate and long, because everybody in the building had been waiting just that long to applaud.

Blood Orange & Toronto. This wasn’t just a concert; it was an artist returning to a city he’s had with him for over a decade. With Le Keep throwing us off early, the night unfolded with colour, memory, and a sense of experience shared.

It felt like getting back something you didn’t know you had.