Rock Darlings The Last Dinner Party Bring Their 'From The Pyre' Tour To Toronto
- Morghan McCart
- 32 minutes ago
- 13 min read
After two long years, on April 23rd, Toronto welcomed back iconic rock band, The Last Dinner Party, to the city. The quintet brought their ‘From The Pyre’ tour to Massey Hall, one of Toronto’s historic venues.
From The Pyre is The Last Dinner Party’s second studio album. The project directly follows the theatrical elements the band had laid out in their debut, Prelude to Ecstasy. That being said, From the Pyre is not a simple copy and paste of their previous sounds, but rather offers an elevated take on everything the fans had already loved, showing off this diverse range of skills and capabilities from the band as a collective, and as individuals.
[ From The Pyre Album Cover ]
From the album's singles alone, The Last Dinner Party displayed that they’d be leaning into this stronger, more prominent rock sound, letting their previous whimsical and daydreamy sound act as a foundation rather than the main act. This created a more demanding and powerful sonic landscape for From The Pyre. Where Prelude To Ecstasy had felt like you were trapped inside of a castle, navigating the pressures of holding rank and keeping a poise demeanour, From The Pyre takes you to the streets of this medieval village, taking you to every cheap pub, tarot reader, and even out to the forest with the fae.
Personally, I don’t think I could have asked for a better sophomore album from these wickedly talented musicians, with From The Pyre meeting and exceeding my expectations from my very first listen.
By the time I had reached Massey Hall, about a half hour before doors, the line was wrapped around the block with eager fans. Everyone was dressed to the nines in their best regal attire. From frilly blouses to corsets and skirts of all lengths, it looked like we were headed to a palace dinner or local festival rather than a rock show.
Taking my seat on the balcony, I was given a clear view of the stunning set. The word that comes to mind is whimsical, like something straight out of a storybook. Situated at either end of the stage were marble-looking arches adorned with fake foliage. The arch on the right dawned a bell and a dog weather vane. The others housed these white, flowy curtains. In the middle of the stage was a central platform that resembled a balcony of sorts, which sported the same pristine marble texture as the arches. To top it off, a mobile of a flock of sparrows hung delicately over the stage. Under the golden lights, the setup was just enchanting, bringing us to this completely other world before the band had even stepped on stage.
Irish rock band Florence Road was the first to take the stage. It was the group's first time in Toronto, and they surely left a good impression. Honestly, they had a little bit of a slow start to the night, which initially had the crowd a little unsure. But after a dramatic build-up during their first song, Florence Road managed to capture everyone's attention, silencing everyone who had been talking through their set behind me.
Florence Road feels like one of those bands you see in your high school gym one day and immediately know that they’re going to go far and make it big. Either that, or they are the type of band that would be featured in an early 2000’s film, maybe a rom-com. Personally, I thought of 10 Things I Hate About You, but I think it’s up for debate.
While the entire band was exceptional, their vocalist, Lily Aron, was an absolute powerhouse! It was incredible how calm and poised she looked while delivering this standout vocal performance. It seemed as if she wasn’t even breaking a sweat. Her vocals were especially notable when they performed ‘Hanging Out To Dry’, which was a crowd favourite.
My personal favourite moment of their set was when the band played their ‘love song’ of the night. From where I sat on the balcony, I got a clear view of the people in the pit below me, watching as they slung their arms around one another, swaying in tandem to the beat. Towards the end of the song, fans even held up their flashlights, an action I only really see reserved for the headliners nowadays. It was clear Toronto had so much love to give Florence Road, and I hope to see them back in the city soon.
At promptly nine o'clock, the houselights went down over Massey Hall. Across the stage, the shadow of the leaves of trees was cast against the draped white backdrop, signalling to guests that we were not in Toronto anymore, but instead in the world of From The Pyre.
As The Last Dinner Party took the stage, adorned in outfits that ranged from romantic to western, their very theatrical introduction came to a close, being swiftly replaced with the beginning of ‘Agnus Dei’. While I believe that ‘Angus Dei’ would make a brilliant closer, especially with the lyrics “All I can give you is your name in lights forever”, I do think it serves as an extremely strong opener. Musically, it feels like this final connection to the ‘real’ world, before we fully delve into a perfectly woven fantasy.
Next came ‘Count The Ways’, following the tracklist order. Rather than staying cemented to one place, as she had during most of ‘Angus Dei’, Abigail Morris, the band's lead vocalist, began to stalk across the stage, utilizing these well-placed marble steps on either end, drawing her closer to those in the second balcony seats. The fans up on the left side were ecstatic about this, cheering for her like she was royalty.
To kick off ‘The Feminine Urge’, Abigail took the time to introduce her bandmates to a beat reminiscent of Chicago’s ‘Cellblock Tango’. On keys, saxophone, and vocals is Aurora Nishevci. On Lead guitar, mandolin, and flute, Emily Roberts. Finally, on rhythm guitar and vocals, Lizzie Mayland. Usually, The Last Dinner Party has one more member, Georgia Davies, who plays bass, but she was missing due to a back injury she sustained in Texas earlier in the tour run.
‘The Feminine Urge’ seemed to ignite the crowd, with the track definitely being a fan favourite off their first album. Whether it was from the energy from the crowd or just getting comfortable on stage, Abigail seemed to gain some confidence here, coming off as visibly less reserved. By the time ‘Ceaser On A TV Screen’ rolled around, everyone on stage had let loose, especially Aurora, who was shouting the lyrics out into the crowd, regardless of if she had a microphone in front of her or not.
As someone who saw The Last Dinner Party at their last Toronto stop in 2024, and again later that year at Lollapalooza in Chicago, it truly is insane how much their production value and confidence as a band have grown over the last two years. For a band that already put so much effort and care into their performances, everything from the ‘From The Pyre’ tour was next level. I noticed it from the moment I walked in, but there was a heavy emphasis on it when watching the band's performance of Ceaser, which was just fuller and richer than it had ever been before. From the emphasis on Emily’s guitar solo to the bands on stage theatrics, especially as they all circled Abigail in the end as if she was taking the role of Ceaser herself, I was just blown away, madly impressed.
‘On Your Side’ was dedicated both to Georgia and any fans who had attended that first Toronto show at Queen Elizabeth Theatre. In the studio version of ‘On Your Side’, the song is equipped with a nearly minute-long instrumental outro. While the band didn’t use that whole minute on tour, they did perform a slightly different outro, which caught me off guard a little. However, I couldn’t be too mad when it set up the intro to ‘Second Best’ perfectly.
‘Second Best’, which was formerly performed as a show as an unreleased song, was the second single for From The Pyre. Compared to the album version, the band takes a more playful approach when performing the song, with Abigail portraying this persona that seemed almost akin to Betty Boop. Her behaviour was all intentionally cute and coy as she danced around all her bandmates, who, of course, leaned into the act, even once she left them to their own devices in favour of prancing up and down the centre platform stairs.
As the crowd began to settle, the band situated themselves for ‘I Hold Your Anger’. The performance was a little delayed as Aurora's ears were being haunted by a possible ghost of Massey Hall, which caused some disruptive reverb. In the end, the band chose to abandon their click, performing purely based on Aurora’s movements on keys. Despite the hindered beginnings, Aurora gave the performance of a lifetime. She started at the grand piano, another new addition to the band's set, taking over the lead vocals completely. As we hit the bridge, Aurora took centre stage on the platform, the spotlight down on her as she passionately hit every lyric, transforming into this complete force of nature. It was incredible to watch, with the only thing in my notes for the performance being ‘Holy Sh–”.
While I did not love ‘Woman Is A Tree’ upon first or even second listen of the album, I found myself breathless seeing it performed live, being left with complete full body chills by the time the band was done. To begin, all the members gathered on the centre stage to perform a haunting chorus arrangement that is just striking to hear live. Throughout the song, Abigail's vocals were as firm as planted roots, her voice completely unwavering. The stillness of each band member in their position was jarring as well, making me feel like a witness to something that teetered the line between divine and wretched.
Following ‘Woman Is A Tree’ was an equally significant performance of the song ‘Gjuha’. Written and sung by Aurora, 'Gjuha’ is about wanting to connect with something you’ve been removed from. For Aurora, this was wanting to reconnect with her Albanian heritage, as she initially felt shame for not knowing her mother tongue. The entirety of ‘Gjuha’ is sung in Albanian, a beautiful detail to emphasize the song's meaning. While ‘Gjuha’ contains harmony lines from all the band members, I consider this to be a wholehearted Aurora solo song. Although ‘Gjuha’ is notably a slow point in the set, I do hope that the band keeps it on their setlist for as long as possible, as I believe it is a very important track to be played.
As I was working on this review, my Dad, who was sitting quietly next to me, asked me what my highlight from the show was. Without even needing to think, I confidently said that it would be Lizzie’s performance of ‘Rifle’. I knew that the guitarist had put out their own EP last summer, but the mellow folk essence captured in that EP was a complete disguise for the ‘Rock and Roll’ attitude that Lizzie held beneath the surface, an attitude that came out during ‘Rifle’. Lizzie was effortlessly commanding the stage, starting off tame, but as ‘Rifle’ begins to build, they unleash something wild and fearless. Lizzie’s performance was only elevated by the production choices, such as the perfectly timed lights within the chorus, and the bleeding red lights in the background. Similar to their companions, Lizzie got their own moment on the centre stage platform to completely rock out. If I had the option, dear reader, to beam my memory of this performance into your brain, I would, just so you could understand its sheer impact. But since I can’t, you may just need to scoop up tickets to see it live for yourself.
Following ‘Rifle’ was ‘Big Dog,’ a currently unreleased track that is due to hit streaming on May 8th. Everything about ‘Big Dog’ screams strength and a force to be reckoned with. It is loud, brash, and undoubtedly rock and roll, more so than anything the band has put out thus far. Aurora pulled out the saxophone for this track, which, as a former alto saxophone band kid, made me very giddy. However, it was Abigail who was the complete star of the show, having me completely entranced during this whole performance. From the way she moved with vigour and chaotic grace, by the bark she had lingering behind every word, to watching her literally throw herself around on the stage floor, I just couldn’t seem to look away. It was disgustingly pretty, like a usually forgiving girl who finally snapped. I left ‘Big Doh’ hungry, wanting more, but yet feeling exhausted and impossibly satiated, like the performance itself had taken everything out of me, leaving me docile.
‘The Scythe’ was preceded by a fan appreciation moment with Abigail talking about The Last Dinner Party’s album signing that had occurred earlier that day at Kops Records. She talked about how meeting fans always left them feeling fulfilled, making it known that they were just as thankful for us and we are for them, which is wonderfully wholesome. Abigail then explained that ‘The Scythe’ was written with the intent to be sung together in fields or concert halls, anywhere that community could be found and formed, as the song required a chorus of voices to feel complete. If you have cried to the studio version of ‘The Scythe’, you will cry hearing it live… and yes, maybe I am speaking from experience. ‘The Scythe’ is such a beautiful and moving song about the natural processes and cycle of living, and what it is like to love someone from one life to the next. Every lyric is pieced together with a careful hand and is sung with complete catharsis. It feels as if The Last Dinner Party had been trying to create a lasting feeling that would sit in your bones for all of eternity, that would eventually resurface as advice you’d give to your own children one day.
Taking a moment to recoup, The Last Dinner Party took a break to discuss Ribbons For Provisions, their charity campaign. For this tour, the band partnered with WhyHunger, a non-profit that collects donations to fund and support programs to provide communities with sustainable access to food. With every donation made by fans before or during the show, they could collect a ribbon in return, as a little thank you. Something special about the Ribbons For Provisions project is that every donation made directly benefits your own city, meaning donations made in Toronto would go towards food banks throughout the city. If you’re interested in donating and are not attending a show, you can follow this link HERE.
As the venue faded to black, the familiar piano of ‘Sail Away’ began to ring out against the venue’s walls. A single spotlight was cast, narrowing in on Abigail sitting on the edge of the stage, mere inches away from the fans down at the barricade. There was something about the simplicity of the performance, with there being nothing but one stage light, a piano, and Abigail's raw vocals, that made everything feel wildly intimate. Even from my spot on the balcony, I felt as if Abigail was sitting right in front of me, singing every word directly into my soul, even though I don’t think she looked up in my direction once. It was angelic and magical, like being lured in by a siren; everyone just wanted to stay in that moment forever.
Breaking free from the daze, The Last Dinner Party went on a run of their most upbeat and popular tracks. We started off with ‘Sinner’, which was led by Lizzie as Abigail could not stop giggling for some reason. As most of the balcony seats had been filled for their performance, Lizzie encouraged everyone to get up on their feet and dance, which was a godsend for me, who had been wanting to let loose but didn’t want to disturb the people behind me. Directly after, the band fell into ‘Our Lady Of Mercy’, which felt like this mess of pure joy. At one point, Aurora, Emily, and Lizzie gathered up on the centre platform to shred on their instruments, while Abigail ran down to the barricade to sing with a few lucky fans. At one point, I saw her rest her forehead against someone else's on the barricade, a moment that felt very Florence and the Machine.
Taking a pause, the band played ‘Inferno’, which was opened by Abigail, saying it was time for us to be cleansed of our sins. Personally, I was very excited for ‘Inferno’ as it is one of my favourites from From The Pyre. There’s something a little showtuney about the entire song, making it rather fun to listen to. However, it’s the lyricism that draws me in. While it’s fundamentally less complex than some of their other songs, I love the playfulness of the namedrops of Jesus Christ and Joan of Arc, the mention of the Real Housewives in what otherwise would be a very religiously themed song, and, of course, the strong chorus and how it slightly alters as the song progresses. While the crowd seemed to simmer for this one, I at least thoroughly enjoyed hearing ‘Inferno’ live.
Introduced through a series of ‘Smiling Friends’ impressions, The Last Dinner Party declared that, to nobody's surprise, ‘Nothing Matters’ was to be the last song of the night. ‘Nothing Matters’ was the band's first single, the song that put The Last Dinner Party on the map, during a time when they were still playing smaller venues over in Europe and opening for Hozier. For a lot of people, including myself, ‘Nothing Matters’ was their first introduction to the band, and that song was enough for them to begin to foster a dedicated fanbase. Despite this being the song everyone would want to record, Abigail kindly asked everyone to keep their phones down, to live in the moment, dance, spin, and sing along with them in this complete moment of freedom, because in the end, nothing matters!
As ‘Nothing Matters’ came to a close, the band said their quick goodbyes and headed off stage. It took a solid thirty seconds before the encore cheers began, rumbling throughout Massey Hall. At one point, people started to stop on the balcony, shaking the floor beneath me. It was clear that Toronto was not ready for the night to be over yet, and luckily, The Last Dinner Party still had a little bit left in them.
‘This Is The Killer Speaking’ was the first encore song of the night. The already nearly five-minute song turned into an entire theatrical performance, with a scheduled bit right in the middle of it. Right before the bridge, Abigail took centre stage while all her bandmates found a place to sit. For a minute, the set became the ‘Abigail Morris Show’, as the singer was determined to give Toronto a three-step seminar on how to properly dance to the song’s chorus. She gave detailed and visual instructions, with gap breaks in between to make sure we knew what was expected of us. Once satisfied, she trotted down to Aurora over by the piano, sitting next to her and inquiring about the Aperol Spritz in her blue solo cup, two things Abigail seemed a little bewildered by.
Without further ado, the band launched back into ‘This Is The Killer Speaking’, with Abigail giving a little “Remember everything I’ve taught you” right before the final chorus. It seems like Toronto was nothing less than good listeners, as they all moved in sync with one another, jumping up and down and moving their arms exactly as previously directed, screaming along for what could be their last opportunity of the night. Everyone in the venue was filled with smiles, from the band to the fans, and even the venue workers.
Remember how earlier I mentioned that ‘Agnus Dei’ would be the perfect closer? Well, I got my wish when The Last Dinner Party launched into a reprise of the track for the official end to their performance. Hearing it again was almost like a reality check, feeling as if we were being moved back into the real world once again, being sent off from our small stay in the fantasy universe The Last Dinner Party had tirelessly built for us.
As the band took their final bows, I couldn’t help but already begin reminiscing on the performance. The ‘From The Pyre’ Tour truly felt like The Last Dinner Party, completely out of their shell, at their best, proving song after song, performance after performance, that they are a completely unstoppable force within the music industry. From sheer talent to boundless creativity, there is nobody out there doing it quite like them, and quite frankly, I don’t know if anyone in this generation will even match them.
Get Your Tickets For The Remaining North American From The Pyre Tour Dates HERE.
Stream From The Pyre HERE.
Pre-Save ‘Big Dog’ Out On May 8th HERE.
FOLLOW THE LAST DINNER PARTY ONLINE
