iHeartRadio FanFest 2019 @ REBEL - Toronto, ON, Canada

(feat. Marshmello, Tyler Shaw, Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine and much more)

For its 3rd year in a row, the iHeartRadio FanFest, as part of Toronto’s Canadian Music Week and hosted by Bell Media, has been a staple for bringing in fresh and well-talented Canadian musicians, such as DVBBS, Belly Marianas Trench, and much more, usually at Toronto’s own REBEL. As for big international headliners, rapper French Montana set the stage off last year as performed his classic hits like Unforgettable & Ain’t Worried Bout Nothin’. Now this year, it is digging deeper into more eclectic and vibrant genres, as they introduce chart-topping producer and artist Marshmello as the main international headliner for this year’s iHeartRadio FanFest. Knowing about Marshmello and the local talent that’s coming forward, I was pretty much excited to see this great experience for myself since this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Marshmello bring great vibes for the stage.

Starting iHeartRadio FanFest the traditional way, many hosts from Canadian-based radio stations and programs came up to throw t-shirts to the crowd and introduced many artists to the stage that I didn’t know but was excited to hear them perform. Throughout the night, multiple openers, including the winner’s from CTV’s The Launch, a music television show, much similar to American Idol and X-Factor, brought artists like Cassiopeia, Olivia Lunny, and Saveria to the stage to perform their most well-known singles. Other artists like Famba, Lu Kala, Frank Walker, and Neon Dreams brought high, positive energy and well-captivating performances throughout the night.

For the main acts, Coquitlam, British Columbia singer Tyler Shaw performed a variety of songs such as ‘With You’, ‘Wicked’, and ‘Cautious’. With a 3-piece band backing him up, he delivered unique harmonies and sounds that the audience enjoyed, and he interacts with the crowd well through his movement on the stage and the positive energy he brings for them. Next, Ottawa, Ontario-based pop duo Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine started off with a cover of Kanye West’s ‘Gold Digger’ in the cleanest way possible, as well as Jamie Fine singing her heart out on other tracks like ‘You’, ‘It Ain’t Easy’, and ‘Better Off’. The duo came in clutch with unique crowd participation, a lot of happiness and well-delivering vocal and music production for their set.

Finally, Marshmello graced his way onto the stage, as he started off with a unique video introduction to his set and the energy set on high as #MELLOGANG fans and EDM lovers were pumped up for his high energy. He initialized his starting performances with an EDM cover of Alice DeeJay’s ‘Better Off Alone’ record. As confetti and vertical haze popped off for the crowd and fans, people were dancing the night away as it was their last days. There was so much happiness in the air, and there were a limited amount of phones being used, as the fans were just dancing and having a great time. Marshmello also graced the fans with his original work to set off the high BPM energy, such as ‘FRIENDS’, ‘Silence’, and ‘Here With Me’. Overall, I was excited to take part in capturing this amazing moment and the show was something that will never be forgotten and always is remembered for a long time.Canadian Music Week will still continue on until May 12h, 2019. You can keep up with the schedule at https://cmw.net/music/