Experience the Electric Atmosphere of 54.40's Sold-Out Show at Danforth Music Hall
- jaybroderick
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
By: Michael Drukarsh
Toronto, Ontario - If you thought crowd participation and singalongs were reserved for the pop star fans of the world you would be sorely mistaken and have obviously never attended a 54-40 show before. Playing to a sold out crowd at the Danforth Music Hall, 54-40’s final show before a well deserved break over the holidays was incredibly energetic and full of tunes, both old and new, that were loved by those dancing along to every note.
Kandle
It’s rare for a headliner to come out on stage and introduce the opening act, but when its family, exceptions are made. Neil Osborne, frontman for 54-40 very proudly brought out his daughter Kandle, who along with her guitarist and new drummer (who was scooped up while working at a local record store), delivered a set full of jazzy, pop vibes that hypnotized the crowd. Kandle’s voice, ethereal yet powerful, was matched by the beauty and confidence she had on stage. Showing off her guitar skills on an axe that was gifted to her by Jack White after her guitar broke before going on stage supporting White, Kandle turned up the volume for her last few songs, kicking into more of a rock vibe to end her set.
54.40
When it was time for 54-40, Neil Osborne once again took to the stage, delivering a set that just rocked! Flanked by band members Matt Johnson on drums, Brad Merrit on bass, David Genn on guitar and David Osborne on keyboards and sax, Osborne never stopped moving as he and the boys went through the long catalog of hits much to the fans' delight. Interspersed amongst the well known 54-40 songs were few off the new album Portos. For “Virgil”, one of the new singles out now, Osborne broke into a long introduction about the concept behind it starting with “if you need to piss, now is time" and then going into dream analysis and Junging philosophy (see my upcoming interview with Dave Genn to understand this a little more) before ending with the story of the book The Inferno where Beatrice sends her servant Virgil to help Dante as he travels through hell. While this was definitely one of the strangest intros to a song I have ever heard, Osborne made it work and when they broke into "Virgil", the crowd loved it.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, the crowd was so much a part of the show and the band shared the love during singalongs with hits such as “She La”, “ Baby Ran”, and “One Day” by turning the mics out to the audience inviting them to be the lead singers.
A highlight for me was “Music Man” off 1992’s Dear Dear, as the band broke into a Grateful Dead-like jam featuring David Osborne on keyboard and sax solos.
After finishing the set with “Ocean Pearl” another crowd singalong that broke into CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain”, the band returned, first with Neil taking to centre stage with an acoustic guitar for "Alcohol Heart” where he was joined by his daughter Kandle as they transitioned into “Love Hurts” before the rest of the band came out for “I go Blind” and “Love You All.”
Set List
Lies to Me
Nice to Luv You
Running for the Fence
Time Will Tell
Baby Ran
Radio Luv Song
Virgil
Music Man
One Day in Your Life
She La
Since When
Casual Viewin' / Have You Ever Seen the Rain / Casual Viewin'
Ocean Pearl
Encore:
Alcohol Heart / Love Hurts (with Kandle)
I Go Blind (with Kandle)
Love You All / Rockin' in the Free World / Love You All
This was an incredible way for 54-40 to end what was a long tour across Canada. They delivered a brilliant show that kept the energy levels through the roof the entire night. Kandle mentioned at the start of her set that she was so excited to have the audience filled with family. While she may have been talking about kin, it was evident that the 54-40 fans in attendance felt just as much a part of the family.
Concert Photo Gallery (all photos by Michael Drukarsh)
54.40 Online
Show Date: November 29, 2025
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