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It’s 11:45 in the morning. 22 degrees Celsius. Fans from all over gather around Yonge-Dundas Square, eagerly awaiting the arrival of an up-and-coming star, Alexz Johnson.
Before being graced with her presence, we are welcomed by the 680News Music Reporter, Rudy Blair. And if you want to know how to get a crowd going, just ask him! At the peak of the crowd’s excitement, Rudy begins spinning the tale that is Alexz Johnson.
Alexz has been in this craft since early childhood. After releasing several soundtrack albums from her CTV show, Instant Star, Alexz managed to release “Voodoo”—an album complete with eleven pop perfections and topped with killer artwork. Today, Alexz brings us a top notch live performance, something memorable for the fans to hold in their minds until “Voodoo: Reloaded” is released this fall (and even after!)
Rudy has provided a fitting welcome for Alexz, and the show begins as she runs to the stage, looking as beautiful as ever and immediately jumping into “A Little Bit”.
I was very happy to see her interaction with the fans. She pushed the crowd to jump around, clap, and sing their hearts out. Her stage presence is phenomenal.
The excitement of the crowd begins to settle, but the energy is still nearly palpable, as Alexz straps on her guitar to enchant the crowd with her “Voodoo.” The song, a personal favorite from the album, Alexz and her band take it to a super sonic level. All in all, it was outstanding and spellbinding.
After thanking everyone for coming out, Alexz announces the next song. “L.A. Made Me,” while still reminiscent of the album, the song took on a very different vibe live. Gone are the layered vocals and synthesizers, instead, she delivers a true rugged rock n’ roll rendition. Which begs the question: has L.A. made her? Nothing could have made such an artist; Alexz has a talent that’s almost magical and most certainly very pure.
Next up, Alexz formally introduces “Mary”, her newly written song. The crowd response was positive even before the song begins as a fan proclaimed, “We all love it, Alexz”, a statement backed up by the rest of the audience. Now, there’s something different about “Mary” …
Alexz grabs her guitar again and begins tugging on the strings. The sound of music filled the air, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere.
Very different from the previous song, it’s almost as if “Mary” and the people had become one entity. Perfect.
Lastly, Alexz whipped out a tribute of sorts for fans of her CTV days. Co-written with her brother Brendan for Instant Star, and full of rocked out riffs, “I Just Wanted Your Love” begins with her soft vocals and a steady beat, waiting in anticipation for what may possibly be my favorite word in the song, purely for the energy it stirs up. Armed with a 4-octave range and the most mind-blowing band around, she belts out “BOY!” and the chorus takes off, transforming the entire crowd into one wicked rock fest!
One of the most exhilarating performances I’ve seen finally came to a close as Alexz thanks her fans for coming out to support her. She wishes everyone a beautiful day… and her last words?
”Remember… GO GREEN” …Yeah, that’s out girl!
Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, the show was cut short. However, even after traveling near 10 hours for the show, I believe that 5 songs are all a person may need from an artist like Alexz. Any of the fans at this particular performance would have to agree.
She’s one of the truest souls, voices and people around. Alexz is meant for the stage and her voice was meant for the world to listen.
It’s simple—Alexz Johnson is legendary.
- Alanna
This one is written by Seleana Chermak.
