I saw Jeremy Zucker live for the first time in 2022 during his MORE NOISE! Tour. I have been a fan of his since at least 2016, but had never had the chance to see him on tour, so it was truly a night that I will never forget. This year on the other hand, I had the opportunity to see him again, this time as a music writer and photographer and having been to so many other shows since then, so I considered the possibility of maybe realizing that it was just another good concert only, and not that big of a deal. But I am so happy to say that I was wrong.

Jeremy’s is nothing sacred? tour felt a lot more personal than the 2022 one. Back then, it was mostly about promoting his album CRUSHER, an amazing LP that took the 27-year-old into more rock territory, with guitar solos and loud distortions. This time around, the tour was also prompted by a new project, titled just like the tour, but the setlist and overall energy around the shows felt like so much more than that.

He did start out the night with a new track, “i need you (in my life),” a song that goes back a little to his soft pop roots. It was upbeat enough to get the crowded started, but also sentimental enough to really evoke Jeremy’s warm and peaceful energy. He followed that with “OK” from the same project, one of my favorite songs of his, and one that touches on a recurring theme for the singer; mental health and… sometimes wanting to die! Funnily enough, he next performed “all the kids are depressed,” from his 2028 EP glisten, another song that focuses on the struggles of growing up, becoming a young adult and realizing that everyone around you is just as lost as you. These three songs work perfectly to bring the audience together, making each person feel seen and understood, reminding us all of what we have in common and why we all fell in love with Jeremy’s music.

In between songs, the New Jersey native reminisced on his connection to Toronto; while he was on tour in 2018, playing a much much smaller venue (the Velvet Underground) he and his then-tour photographer recorded a quick and simple video for his single “comethru” on the rooftop of that building. That song and music video then absolutely blew up, and had a huge impact on Jeremy’s career. Since then, his team and him have always thought of Toronto as THE city that made that happen. He thanked the Canadian fans for having his back from the beginning, and for staying with him to this day. “I don’t plan on going away anytime soon,” he said.

Halfway through the night, he decided to give the Toronto fans a little gift: a song that wasn’t included on the regular setlist. He asked the audience if he could play an unplanned song and asked them which one they wanted. People were begging for songs like “18” and “Therapist” to which he went “Oh… Yeah, it’s not gonna be that one, sorry.” Fans were not giving up, to which Jeremy replied jokingly: “This is not a democracy, this is my fucking show.” He then proceeded to play “firefly” from his acclaimed 2018 EP summer,.

Surprisingly, most of the songs on the set were from his debut album love is not dying, instead of his most recent one. LIND holds a very special place in my heart so I was more than happy to listen to so many songs from that era, but it was definitely something that I noticed. Only two songs from CRUSHER made the final cut: “i-70” and “Cry With You.” During the second one, he brought up a fan who was having a really bad day from what he told Jeremy while he spoke to the crowd. He’s been bringing people on stage at every tour stop, and although the whole scene at this show in particular was a little uncomfortable to watch (mainly because the guy kept shoving his phone on Jeremy’s face,) it was still nice to see him decide to give the crowd the opportunity to join him during one of his most vulnerable songs. I just maybe hope the rest of the fans that get to go on stage handle it a little better!

Another memorable moment was when he performed “talk is overrated,” a song that originally includes a rap verse from blackbear. Once Jeremy performed his part in the song, the music came to an end, but the HISTORY crowd decided to continue singing along to the rapper’s verse. A smiley Jeremy started rapping with them too, and went back to softly playing the chords on his guitar, finishing the song with the fans. The whole scene was so cute I found myself getting a little emotional seeing my favorite artist having this kind of fanbase and unconditional support. He thanked them again, beaming and restating that this might just be the best night of the entire tour.

After ending the show with one of his older tracks titled “end” (*funny*) he came back for a three song encore, performing “desire,” “always, i’ll care” and “supercuts.” Although Jeremy has referred to “supercuts” as a flop, apparently it’s still a song he loves, since it’s the one that gets entire venues jumping up and down and screaming every word. Once again, the good energy at HISTORY was palpable, and Jeremy’s charm and quiet but powerful charisma was seen at its brightest.

The whole night felt intimate even at a place that can hold 2,500 people. Perfectly balancing the amount of ballads and tears with the dancing and fun bops, Jeremy’s down-to-earth demeanor made us all feel at home. His music has always felt like a warm, tight hug to me, and his approach to touring and performing feels exactly like that too but in an even stronger way. I’m glad he’s continued to perfect his craft and stage presence, and I hope we get to see him do what he loves for many years to come.