NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
Indie singer/songwriter Blondshell (aka Sabrina Teitelbaum) last played in Toronto in January opening for Suki Waterhouse at the Axis Club. Since then, she has released her self-titled debut album, been featured in Rolling Stone magazine, Billboard and many others, and performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon! Not too shabby! At the end of the opening week of her first headlining tour, she stopped at The Garrison in Toronto for a long sold out show.
Opening for Blondshell was Hello Mary, a young (and I mean young) rock band out of New York City. The group got together when vocalist/guitarist Helena Straight and bassist Mikaela Oppenheimer were only fifteen!! The experienced veteran of the band was eighteen year old drummer Stella Wave. Now, almost four years later, the youngsters have finished their first year of college and the band has released their self-titled debut album as well.
The band was well received when they took the stage. Straight’s vocals and guitar playing were spot on as she performed with eyes that seemed to look right through you. Oppenheimer was so smooth that she could have been playing in her living room! The most lively member of the band was drummer Wave. Besides playing enthusiastic drums, she also handled the background vocals, completing the group’s lovely harmonies. Hello Mary definitely made some new fans this night.
Click on photos to enlarge
Blondshell took the stage with no fanfare, casual in her Harley Davidson t-shirt and long cut-off jean shorts. She opened by thanking the audience and indicating she would be playing ALL of her music before starting the set with “Veronica Mars”. She was surprised, not able to suppress a smile, when the whole crowd started to sing along. Somehow, during the last several months, her fans in Toronto had learned the words to all her songs! That’s pretty incredible and speaks to the devotion that she’s been able to elicit in such a short period.
When singing, Blondshell would often stare far away as if remembering the moments that caused her to write certain lyrics, or shake her head violently, trying to forget those moments. Other times, she would lean over as if she’s exhausted by the weight of her lyrics. While her songs can often times be angry or sad, it’s hard not to feel happy as the audience is singing along. It’s hard to tell which songs had the biggest reaction but I would choose “Kiss City”, her cover of Samia’s “Charm You”, or the “Salad”, her closing number.
Blondshell has been identified in several music magazines as the next big thing in indie rock and she may well be. It’s hard to argue against it after seeing her performance and the dedication of her already significant fanbase. She’ll be touring North America for the next month before she heads overseas so you’ll have plenty of time to catch her at a venue near you!
Click on photos to enlarge
