By Scott TavenerLike spacing out drinks on your birthday, pacing is such an important component of a gig's success. Thus, when Toronto's the Weeknd burst out of the gate at the massive Scène de la Montagne, the band seemed like it might peak too soon.
Opener and de facto Entourage-approved hit "High for This" kicked off with a come-hither guitar before singer Abel Tesfaye's soulful voice turned up. By the time the La Roux-indebted drums (see the Skream remix of "In for the Kill") hit, the big crowd was in a bit of a tizzy.
Follow-up, a slow-burning "The Morning," provided Tesfaye's finest vocal moment as he hit a desperate falsetto. Better nuanced than grand, subsequent techno-inspired wanderings and fuzzed-out dalliances didn't fully measure up. That's the thing with inertia: it's hard to resist. Still, Tesfaye and co.'s command of a giant venue boded well.
August 05, 2012jerkface13708
Start Conversation
SHARE IT! 
Wha?! What was better in this sentence, now?