Big Wild’s wild child visits Toronto

With his latest release, Wild Child, Big Wild has made a tonal shift from post-disco synths to indie-pop. Big Wild (aka Jackson Stell) has come a long way since we first spoke to him early in his career, progressively releasing new music and performing at some of the world’s biggest festivals. His current North American tour recently made a stop at Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall. “Thank you for coming out to see me on a Tuesday night,” Jackson shared, welcoming a wave of cheer from the audience. 

Wild Child is a departure from Jackson’s early work, a record on which he “fully frees himself from his adult hangups”. In many ways, this sentiment was present at the live show. The stage centrepiece was a rainbow-shaped light fixture, rotating bright colours on the outer loop and flushing what felt like portal entry lights along the inner circle. Various painted wooden fixtures decorated the stage with an upbeat, psychedelic vibe (a pink flower with an eye inside? Sure, why not). Big Wild himself wore a youthful flower-printed wide-leg pants and a yin and yang t-shirt, perfectly matching his majestic head of hair.

Joined on stage by a guitarist and a drummer, the trio played some old and new tracks to a highly energetic room of fans, dancing and singing along. We travelled from “No Words” to “When I Get There” and “Venice Venture”. During “Too Loud,” Jackson took a moment to check in with the audience, receiving yet another wave of cheer from the dancing crowd. Instrumental moments from the band added a surprising dimension to the show, ebbs and flows of musical experience the fans welcomed with open arms. Big Wild’s vocal range took the spotlight, start to finish, rivalled only by his energetic dance moves and Cajón drumming skills. 

Upcoming Big Wild tour dates:

$1 from every ticket sold to benefit Portland’s Ethos Center

9/18 – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Detroit, MI
9/19 – The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL
9/20 – The Sylvee – Madison, WI
9/23 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
9/24 – The Truman – Kansas City, MO
9/25 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO NEW SHOW ADDED
9/26 – Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater – Vail, CO
9/27 – Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO
9/30 – Rockwell at The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
10/2 – Channel 24 – Sacramento, CA
10/3 – The Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA
10/4 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
10/7 – Knitting Factory Concert House – Boise, ID
10/9 – Showbox SoDo – Seattle, WA
10/11 – Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn – Portland, OR