On Thursday Night (April 9, 2026), The Concert Hall in Toronto was absolutely packed for the opening night of Alice Phoebe Lou’s North American Oblivion Tour. Following the release of her sixth album, Oblivion, last October, the South African indie folk/pop artist is embarking on a run of Canadian and U.S. dates until the end of April.
The night kicked off with an acoustic set from John Andrews, a New York-based artist who just released his 5th album, STREETSWEEPER, with his band, John Andrews & The Yawns. His set on Thursday, however, was performed solo. His soft pop music is easy to listen to and soothing for the soul. His performance was relaxed and low-key as he sat down with his guitar and sang, but it showcased the very core of his music. He also confided in the audience that this is his biggest tour thus far, and that he’s used to playing house shows for 30 people. A sold-out 700+ capacity venue is a huge leap and the audience welcomed him with open arms.
Similarly, Alice delivered a stripped-back performance with no backing band. For most of the show, on stage, it was just her with one instrument. Whether that was a guitar, piano, or omnichord, with the occasional backing piano assist from John Andrews. Her setlist seemed improvised for the most part, with her playing what felt good in the moment. She often introduced songs by saying she hadn’t played them in a long time, or that this was her first time playing them; the crowd often lit up at the prospect of hearing either new songs or old favourites.
Her set featured songs from Oblivion, including “Sparkle,” along with older tracks like “Glow,” “Hammer,” “Underworld,” and “Touch,” the latter of which she played on the omnichord, which added a backing beat and glistening, shimmery sounds. Her energy was warm and inviting as she spoke about the opening night of her tour, the last time she played in the city at Massey Hall, and shouted out Sonic Boom Records, where she played a free in-store gig the previous day. In between songs, she interacted with fans: wishing someone a happy birthday, receiving a ‘forever flower’ gift, and being asked what her favourite holiday was, to which she responded “Halloween,” of course.
Close to the end of her set, she covered Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”, introducing it as a Canadian sing-along, and the crowd did not disappoint. She closed the night out with “Witches,” which the crowd had been eagerly anticipating all night. Throughout the night, the audience sang and swayed along to the music, absorbing Alice’s angelic voice and the essence of her music.
The North American Oblivion Tour is just getting started. Check out the rest of the tour dates here.
