Mindchatter bring his niche flavour of weird to Toronto with support from NASAYA

The show was off to a slow and late start, with people leisurely strolling into the Opera House and lining up into neat, organised lines across the dance floor. Reunion Island producer and multi-instrumentalist NASAYA took the stage a little late but was greeted wth enthusiasm and applause. Perhaps best known for his collaborative work with the Portuguese singer and performer MARO, NASAYA often tours as a solo act and has been on tour with Mindchatter (aka Bryce Connolly) for a while. 

His opening performance this Saturday balanced a collection of tracks from his collaborative records with MARO, including the breakout “TEMPO” and “I SEE IT COMING”. The duo played a show in Toronto almost a year ago on the dot, and when MARO is on stage, she takes the spotlight as the leading voice. Tonight, however, NASAYA owned the stage, accenting certain tracks with instrumental guitar moments. During the second half of this set, NASAYA set the guitar aside and began to DJ, riling up the crowd into a dance, arms moving, heads shaking. The late-night NASAYA is something we’d like to see more of.  

While oddly dark techno quietly played in the background during the break, a crew of people began to tinker with the stage, repeatedly testing lights and filling fog machines. Mindchatter is known for his dynamic performances featuring immersive audio-visual backdrops, and this show is obviously set to be the same. The triangle set-up looks fit to accommodate three people, but this is a solo show, and this show is impressively executed by a solo act.

Mindchatter’s latest album, Giving Up on Words, builds on his previous work with a comedic mix of social commentary. “This album is the closest I’ve come to defining Mindchatter,” shared Connolly in a press release. “Giving Up On Words is about the quiet battle between the thoughts and their observer. It intentionally drifts between genres but stays consistent – whether it’s a dance track or a ballad, the feeling is familiar.” 

The show opened with track one, “Don’t Trust A Thought,” setting the scene for the monologue-forward performance about to unfold. While Mindchatter’s videos often feature Bryce as the main character, the live performance visuals are carefully curated animations, heavily stylised and very, very thematic, adding layers to each track with mythological characters. The full-screen Medusa was a wild mind stimulant, impossible to look away from. And then came angels, Roman Gods, and plant children on horses… An awkwardly pointed webcam would occasionally add live layers of Bryce Connolly on the screen, smiling through the entire set.

The room was vibing, arms up, from front to back for the high-energy songs and swaying and bopping to the rest. When “Corporate Shakespeare” came on, everyone joined into collective, relatable giggle. The track poetically combined every corporate jargon found online into a single track. Lyrics typed out line by line in an email on the screen are as relatable now as they were when released in 2024. His cover of Peter Bjorn And John’s “Young Folks” fit into the set seamlessly, bopping angels and all, room singing along. 

Mindchatter shows are an experience one must enjoy live. It can be described, it can be recorded, but the joy and weirdness of it do not translate quite right. And surely he knows it, because with the majority of his year spent on the road, you will have plenty of opportunities to see Mindchatter live in a city near you.