LIVE REVIEW: Faye Webster and Maya Hawke at the Danforth Music Hall

Faye Webster’s tour supporting her 2021 album “I Know I’m Funny haha” rolled into Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall on Tuesday, August 16th. After a canceled show at the Horseshoe Tavern a few months prior, fans were more than excited for this show. The line stretched all the way around the block of the venue, by far the longest line I’ve seen at the Music Hall! Inside, many were buying merch, with many others already eagerly waiting at the stage for the show to start.

Actress and singer/songwriter Maya Hawke opened up the show. Her thoughtful lyrics and soft voice make her a perfect fit for a Faye Webster audience. Despite her “Stranger Things” fame, Hawke seemed a bit nervous in front of the crowd and explained that she had never played to crowd of this size before. The audience was incredibly supportive her entire set, with many calls of “We love you!” shouted throughout. Hawke’s most recent single “Sweet Tooth” got the whole crowd dancing along with her to the song’s playful and upbeat sound. Hawke ended her set with a surprising cover of “Dirt” by Florida Georgia Line. She slowed down the pop-country song and made it more her style, making it a perfect closer for her set.

Faye and her band took the stage soon after 9pm. The stage design was simple, with an inflatable bust statue inspired by the cover of Webster’s recent “Car Therapy Sessions” EP. The eyes of the bust lit up different colors throughout the set.

Unfortunately, during some of the set, the audience at the back was talking over the music. But, fan-favorite “Jonny” had the whole crowd silent and fixated on Faye’s vocals and the sparkly instrumentation, especially the pedal steel guitar!

In the second surprising cover of the night, Webster and her band covered “Lake Verity” from the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl games. Faye introduced the song by saying she sometimes leaves her Pokemon game on the TV just so she can listen to the song all day. Right as the song started, I understood why – it has a great, punchy beat and sounded magical with the live band. The whole crowd had their heads bobbing to it and someone in the front asked Faye to sign their Pokemon card after. For the song “Half of me”, the band left the stage, leaving only Faye and her guitar. This solo performance perfectly fit the quiet, introspective lyrics in the song.

For her encore, Faye performed “Kingston” which has recently gained popularity thanks to TikTok. The audience scream-sang along to every word in what seemed to be a truly cathartic and exciting moment for everyone there.

Faye is one of those special artists whose music sounds even better live and I can’t wait to see what is next for her!