We’ve been following mxmtoon (aka Maia) since we photographed her at the Paste Studio in 2019, after the release of her debut studio album “The Masquerade”. We then caught her at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto in 2022 after she released her second album. Now that she has released her third studio album “Liminal Space”, she is currently touring in support of that album and stopped once again at the Danforth Music Hall. We have been, in fact, watching her grow up in front of our eyes and, at twenty four, she has not changed her process of writing about her personal life, although the targets have changed. The vulnerability of her lyrics is something that’s always spoken to her fans and this album is no different, although a bit less poppy than her second album “Rise”. In fact, it’s a bit of a country flavor; maybe her move to Nashville had something to do with that. The title of her latest record speaks to her navigating her life as she transitions from being the kid dealing with growing up and her sexuality (she’s bi) to being an adult, continuing to appeal to her fan base as they grow up with her. But it is a difficult period and while many of us experience that transition a bit earlier, from high school/college to working life, we hope Maia is successful in her metamorphosis, perhaps into a butterfly appealing to a wider audience. Her wonderful music deserves it.
During both the making of her record and her tour, mxmtoon has had all-female teams and openers. She’s also had other Asian singer/songwriters as support acts, including Luna Li and Juliet Ivy opening the first twenty two stops on the tour. For this evening, it was Toronto local Katherine Li, her first as opener and apropos for a hometown show. With a discography comprised of mostly love songs, her passionate fanbase were there in force, with many locals indicating that they were there first for Li, then for mxmtoon. Accompanied by just a guitar player, she played a nice ten song set, capping it off with “Never Had A Chance”, her 2022 single that has amassed over 38 million listens on Spotify!
NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
mxmtoon took the stage with little fanfare and was standing in front her mic stand before I even realized she was there! Opening her set with the equally subdued “Dramatic Escape”, she quietly reached out to the crowd with her lyrics, like we were just getting up in the morning. “Take it easy, nice and slow, wake up early and smell all the roses while you go with the flow”. After the country driven “I Hate Texas”, she grabbed the ukelele for one of her first hits “Prom Dress”. Her setlist comprised of the whole “Liminal Space” record and a couple of songs from each of her other studio albums/EPs. Since the last album is not as lively as her previous, the crowd was also less lively, singing along to some songs and dancing to a few others. The biggest reactions were probably for old standards like “Prom Dress” and “Mona Lisa”, with the whole crowd waving their arms left and right.
To close out the night, she performed “Dance (End of the World”, a disco number from he second studio album “Rise”, as she encouraged the crowd to dance with her before she sent them out into the night. She has four more shows in North America before she embarks on he EU/UK tour in mid-April. See her while you can!
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this review is worded perfectly and so in depth !! the photographer who shot these did amazing !! 🙂
Concert photography goals
practice, practice, practice. then cross your fingers