March Music Madness at History: July Talk brings it’s own brand of wildness home to Toronto
- Justin Michael Carriere
- 5 minutes ago
- 6 min read
By: Justin Michael Carriere
Toronto, Ontario - July Talk is fucking cool. ‘Nuff said!! Just kidding, there’s so much more to say!!
The band brought their signature sound to a sold-out crowd at History on Tuesday night. The line up before the doors opened snaked around the building and down the block, with people braving the rain to catch the last show on the Touch X Tour. July Talk’s sophomore effort turns 10 this year, and they’ve embarked on a cross Canada trip to bring the celebration to cities across the country.
Formed in 2012, July Talk has 4 full length studio albums to their credit, a myriad of singles, and a dedicated fan base that showed up in full force to watch the band close out the tour in their hometown. Band members Peter Dreimanus (co-lead vocals), Leah Fay Goldstein (co-lead vocals), Ian Docherty (guitar), Josh Warburton (bass), Danny Miles (drums) and Dani Nash (percussion/auxiliary musician) have been all around the world with their unique brand of alternative rock, and while I had an inkling the packed house would be in for something special, I couldn’t have imagined it would be THAT good…
Julianna Riolino
But first! Opening the night was guest artist Julianna Riolino… and I didn’t need to check my notes for that because the talented, brash and outspoken artist from Welland, ON made sure we’d remember! Running through music from both her full-length albums, All Blue (2022) and Echo in the Dust (2025), she’d take time between songs to lead us through a “When I say Julianna, you say Riolino” chant! She deftly moved between songs like “Queen of Spades” and “Lone Ranger”, showcasing her country music chops, to more bluesy-rock tunes “Like A Rembrandt” and “Full Moon”.
Her and her bandmates finished their time with the track “Seed”, a rollicking, high energy tune to close out the set. And while I’m sure she wasn’t actually concerned that we wouldn’t remember her, she can rest assured that this was a show we “won’t fuckin’ forget”!!
July Talk
After the instruments were cleared from Riolino’s set, you could feel the anticipation buzz through the crowd. There were a few false starts (the guitar tech got more than one round of applause) and things began a bit late. But what rock show worth its salt doesn’t? I’d honestly have been a little disappointed if it had! Eventually the lights went down, and as a variety of audio recordings describing/defining the word ‘touch’ played, July Talk made their way to the stage. The applause was deafening and the band blasted into the first track off the album, “Picturing Love” …
Now, there are not many musical acts that can boast immediate recognition based on sound alone, but as soon as Dreimanus opened his mouth, the 36-grit sandpaper tone is instantly identifiable. He attacked his keyboard with intensity to establish what was to come for the rest of the night, an all-out assault of rock genius. And as soon as Goldstein joined him with her ethereal vocals, the sold-out History crowd was locked in. On this night (and on the tour) she’s kicking ass for two, and it is absolutely mind blowing how she moves with a little one on board.
The rest of the band are right there with them but also allowed the space to let loose as the mood strikes, and it often did! Docherty effortlessly provides both lead and rhythm depending on what the situation requires. Warburton throws down with thick, meaty bass lines (and pops on keys himself from time to time) and Miles anchors the unbridled dynamism from back behind his kit. And last but definitely not least, Dani Nash serves as the band’s apothecary, providing little vials of sound for whatever the occasion calls for.
After “Picturing Love”, and before launching into their next song, Goldstein took the time to offer a Land Acknowledgement. And while this has become common practice at arts shows and events, the band takes it a step further by donating to local Indigenous organizations at each tour stop. Here at home, it was Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction. After eloquently finishing with the acknowledgement, the band jumped full force into “Beck + Call”, with Dreimanus strapping on a guitar and joining Docherty to add an additional punch.
Given the ass-kickery off the top and through the first three songs, I didn’t imagine it was possible to crank it up even more, but that’s exactly what the band did on "Johnny + Mary"! Coupled with a crazy burst of lights, the energy was turned up to the next level. Making their way through the tracks in order off the album, the chemistry between Dreimanus and Goldstein is effortlessly electric. It’s impossible to take your eyes off them. They both possess the power to mesmerize and draw in whoever their gaze happens to fall upon.
At his most frenetic, Dreimanus is like a demon hurtling out of the 7th circle of hell with a guttural cry summoning his legion of followers at History to join him in the chaos… no wonder Ryan Coogler put him in his movie! And on the flip side, when he brings it in, his voice mellifluously melts through the space like hot knife through butter. This was evident on a few occasions, but one that stood out during the evening was the bands performance of “Jesus Said So”. They were halfway into the song, when they stopped abruptly due to a medical emergency near the front of the stage. The security and First Aid personnel were quick to get to the individual and fellow audience members made space to have them safely brought out. Both Dreimanus and Goldstein showed genuine concern and the crowd was appreciative and supportive as they gave a round of applause for the person being cared for. Picking right back up mid song, Dreimanus’s slow burn baritone and Goldstein’s angelic soprano were like a guiding light, a beacon inviting us back into the July Talk experience, and we were happy to follow.
The ‘Touch’ portion of the set closed out with the title track and featured the slow build of Docherty’s machine gun guitar riff with Goldstein joining in on her own guitar. With driving percussion from Miles and Nash it was a fantastic way to end this section of the night.
The first song post ‘Touch’ was “Love’s Not Dead”, which is actually a “lost track” from the time the album was recorded. They were joined on stage by Riolino and her band, with Riolino picking up a mic and singing along! The rest of the set saw fan favourites “Headsick”, “I Am Water” and “Life of the Party”, the latter which featured Goldstein making her way down off the stage and to the front railing and climbing on top of it!! A feat unto itself but made all the more impressive with baby in tow.
Before “closing” the night with “Summer Dress”, Dreimanus intro’d the penultimate tune as “the first song we ever put out” and the History crowd erupted as the band sprang into “Paper Girl”. The sing along was strong on this one with the audience showing their love for the band’s homecoming.
The encore consisted of “Guns + Ammunition” and “The Garden” and since they were the last two of the entire tour, the intensity ratcheted up to 11!! And while his playing had been stellar all night, Miles’ drums on the latter really burst to the forefront and the driving beat made for an absolutely epic conclusion to the show.
Set List
Picturing Love
Beck + Call
Now I Know
Johnny + Mary
Strange Habit
Push + Pull
Lola + Joseph
So Sorry
Jesus Said So
Touch
Love's Not Dead (with Julianna Riolino)
Headsick
Certain Father
Life of the Party
I Am Water
Paper Girl
Summer Dress
Encore:
Guns + Ammunition
The Garden
After the band left the stage and the lights had come up, I was struck with the notion that how after almost 15 years together, July Talk still attacks the stage with a joyful ferocity that makes it clear there’s nowhere else they’d rather be. Shortly before the end, Dreimanus, drenched with sweat, stepped up to the mic and said, “This has been a pleasure of a lifetime for us”.
Us too Peter. Us too.
6 Guttural screams out of 5
Concert Photo Gallery (all photo by: Justin Michael Carriere)
July Talk Online
Show Date: March 31, 2026
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