Toronto, Ontario - October 24, 2026
Judah & the Lion returned to Toronto for the first time in seven years late Saturday night on their The Boys Are Back Tour, drawing an ecstatic crowd to the Danforth Music Hall. The audience steadily filed into the room through openers Band of Silver and Chlorine, filling in the front of the floor to the top of the balcony. Starting the set centre stage, lead singer Judah Akers took a seat at the front, Brian Macdonald standing guard behind him, armed with his mandolin.
The duo started slow with “Prism”, the opening track off of their latest album, I AM A PRISM, released in August. Akers stood up halfway through the song as the chorus reached full force and from there, there was no holding back, the audience transformed from whispered admiration and awe to full fledged dancing, letting the music take over.
Judah & The Lion play each song like only that singular moment exists, like every song is their last and they are holding on to the catharsis of a few fleeting moments. It’s impossible not to get wrapped up into the music watching the band play on stage, the force of the duo seemingly bigger than the room itself.
Each track on the setlist is met with both ripples of cheers and excited whispering, many throughout the crowd poking their friends and loved ones in excitement as the opening chords of each new song is played before the room is filled with the chorus of voices singing along. As the full band make their way to the front of the stage halfway through the set for “Long Dark Night”, the energy in the room is amplified tenfold, the audience stomping, clapping, and dancing along to the folkier track.
The crowd inches closer and closer to the stage through the night, drawn completely into the music, only to quickly spread out again as Akers jumps into the crowd for a cover of Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy”, dancing and laughing as he runs through the audience. Akers continues laughing as he climbs back onto the stage, marvelling at the “politeness” of the Canadian audience compared to the crowds from past shows.
The setlist is dominated by songs from I AM A PRISM, the dedication of the audience clear as they sing each track back at the stage. Songs both new and older are met with the same level of excitement, as tracks such as “Suit and Jacket”, “Revival”, and “Family/Best is yet to Come” grace the setlist to the delight of longtime fans.
The night ends the same way the entire set is played, full force, the band holding nothing back. Catch Judah & The Lion on The Boys Are Back Tour, continuing through North America until the middle of November, ending in their hometown of Nashville.
