Show Review - Andy Frasco & The U.N. 3/6/25 Toronto, ON
Pure Joy
Andy Frasco & The U.N. brought their “Try Not To Die” Tour to Toronto last night, marking the band’s first time in Canada as they played an intimate-yet-fiery show to an eager crowd at Adelaide Hall.
Opening act Melt made their first appearance here since fall 2022 and delivered a tight and energetic 45-minute set led by the powerful vocals of Veronica Stewart-Frommer and searing guitar riffs of Marlo Shankweiler. Fresh off of the release of their album If There’s A Heaven last fall, the band has refined their live show and put new life into older cuts like the extended jamming section within “Inside.” Freshly-minted keyboardist Kai Ono added a bolder presence on the instrument in just his seventh performance with Melt – infusing some cool synth sounds into their music. The rhythm section of Andres Valbuena and Lucas Saur was as tight as ever, the latter utilizing some really cool and unique melodic work at times.
Another show of growth I noticed was the decision to place their original “hit” “Sour Candy” in the middle of the set as opposed to the closing slot, where I think it’s been every other time I’ve seen the band. There are big things on the horizon for this band – and I’m not just talking about Shankweiler’s fancy new tape echo machine for her guitar (rig tour coming soon!).
With a low ceiling and tiny stage, the energy of Frasco and his band was already sky-high when they started their two-hour set, and the Toronto crowd was ready to respond to his various antics.
Taking advantage of the intimate setting, the whole venue was in play for the performance as guitarist Shawn Eckels and saxophonist Sam Kelly came down into the middle of the pit to trade solos early on in the set, while Kelly even ventured to the back to stand atop the bar during one later solo.
Frasco announced his intention to crowd surf across every city in America before the audience buoyed him all the way to the bar at the back of the room and back for a shot of Jameson – all part of his “Make America Chill Again” initiative.
It wouldn’t be a proper Andy Frasco performance without some whirlwind sit-ins, and last night was highlighted by bassist Sarah Elaz coming on stage to rip during “Talk About It.” It’s not every day that the promoter for the show gets a spotlight during the music itself, and Elaz absolutely shredded her solo before locking in with drummer Andee Avila for some grooving before handing bass duties back to Frasco regular Floyd Kellogg.
The show took a breather with a pair of acoustic tunes which showcased the group’s amazing vocal harmonies before the set closed out with several more Frasco high-energy staples. Rapper Kosha Dillz emerged for some freestyling toward the end of “Struggle” as well, fresh off his own awesome performance at Adelaide the previous night.
The final thing left to do during the encore – after a great ballad performance of “Somedays” – was to get the audience into a big hora as Frasco is wont to do at every performance. It’s always a treat when my Jewish side gets to connect with my live music side, and the smiles on every face as we danced through the final couple of songs for the night lifted my spirits considerably.
In a world that can often present a lot of bleak and upsetting things on a daily basis, Andy Frasco stands as an artist who exists to bring a gigantic helping of positivity along with him to every show. Last night was a reminder of the magic that happens when we come together with no intention other than having an amazing time – so thank you IMMENSELY to Frasco and his band for putting on a show like that, as always.
