Cian Ducrot Live at The Drake Underground

Irish singer-songwriter and social media personality Cian Ducrot brought The Wait Is Over Tour to Toronto’s Drake Underground on April 22, 2023. This is the second stop of the North American leg of the world tour. It was coming straight out of the tour’s European, United Kingdom and Ireland legs.

The sold-out crowd made sure to arrive early as they started to pack the venue as soon as the doors opened. Not long after, Haley Joelle, an American singer-songwriter, kicked off the show. Much of her time was spent in front of the keyboard singing sad songs that suited her vocals as her emotions filled the atmosphere. Haley shared deeper meanings to each story as she transitioned from one piece to another. The highlight of her set was her rendition of You’re Still The One by Shania Twain, honouring the Canadian Icon. Everyone sang along to the chorus as she showcased her twist to the verses. This sparked pride in people who travelled from Vancouver and Montreal to see the show and started shouting out their cities.

Haley Joelle photo by Von Valdez

Cian, accompanied by a band, a drummer and a rhythm guitarist/backup keyboard, took the stage. They were greeted by loud cheers from the excited crowd as this marked their first-ever appearance in Toronto. Off the bat, Cian showcased his vocals and guitar skills, performing Make Believe. He then switched to playing the keyboard for the next couple of songs. While sitting in front of the keys, he would engage with the crowd and even crack a joke about the Toronto Maple Leafs playing a playoff game the night of the show, and how come, everyone is watching his show instead? With the venue’s intimate setting, Cian could not help getting carried away with the conversations forgetting the time constraints for the show. Carrying on, he would cycle through playing the keyboard, electric guitar, and acoustic guitar while singing. As a curve ball, he brought out a flute to play a solo in one of his tracks, which excited everyone. The Toronto crowd was also in for a treat; not only did he perform two unreleased songs, but he also added a third unreleased song which he had never performed elsewhere. At one point, Cian stepped off the stage and performed an acoustic song with the crowd surrounding him in a circle as if he was busking. Continuing the performance on stage, he performed Part of Me, his tribute to his best friend, who is no longer with us. Cian would uncover his openness, sharing that it is his favourite track and least liked due to its backstory, reflecting on his shared moments with his best friend. I’ll Be Waiting was the finale, rightfully so. With its virality, everyone in attendance sang along as if they were a part of the choir, like on his TikTok when he performed in public. All things considered, Toronto witnessed how talented and unique he is. This defines how he could catapult himself to new heights in the years to come.

The tour makes its way to the west coast, making a stop in Chicago before its two final NA stops in California, with stops in Los Angeles and, lastly, San Francisco. The tour then continues its Australian leg in May and back to UK and Ireland for additional shows in July and August. His newest album, Victory is set to be released on July 21 and followed up by his fall tour, which starts in late September, returning to Toronto on October 4 at the Axis Club.