The first thing you’ll notice on Royel Otis’ Glory To Glory tour, is a giant, and I mean enormous, shrimp on stage. It’s a replica of Australia’s Big Prawn –a 27-meter tall structure that resembles the tiny crustacean– and it is (at least according to their merch manager, Ian) the second biggest shrimp in the world. It’s a smart and also silly aspect of the Aussie duo’s show that inevitably catches your eye, and it’s also a good representation of who Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic are beyond their music: two, although stupidly talented, very regular guys. 

I saw Royel Otis live for the first time less than six months ago, during their Pratts & Pain tour. They were in the middle of a new high, thanks to their covers of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder On The Dance Floor” and The Cranberries’ “Linger,” and touring North America for the first time. Soft spoken and maybe a little shy –but still putting on an incredibly fun show– both Otis and Roy were still figuring out who they wanted to be on stage; how to move, how to interact with the crowd, how much to interact with the crowd, etc. But this time around, the stage seemed to instantly become their home. They were one with the audience, keeping the energy at a hundred throughout the entire night, with an immaculate setlist and fittingly memorable stage design.

Although always making sure to show their gratitude and appreciation for the fans, there still wasn’t too much direct talking to the audience – the music was more than enough. The 19-track setlist had mostly songs from their debut album PRATTS & PAIN, alongside a handful from past projects and the quintessential covers I previously mentioned. And although yes, people absolutely lost their minds during “Murder On The Dance Floor,” it never felt like anybody had come only knowing one or two songs; you could hear the crowd singing each and every single one of the lyrics, as the band grinned back at them.

The show started out with some of their most upbeat songs, to get everyone engaged from the beginning. “Heading For The Door,” “Adored,” and “Daisy Chain” set the mood for the upcoming hour, making people feel the need to dance or at least bounce and sway around. Roy and Otis’s laidback and down-to-earth energy made you feel like you were just listening to some friends jam out (some friends that make the best music you’ve ever heard, though.) Even while carefully hiding his face as best as he could, Roy’s charisma was shown through dance moves, interactions with the audience and the rest of the live band, and glances exchanged with his bandmate. Otis, on the other hand, was debuting a new hairdo, or lack thereof (he buzzed his head *broken heart emoji*) which made him look a bit less boyish.

In a way, this new look also sort of perfectly matched their Toronto audience: there were so many guys. I know Royel Otis is not necessarily a band with a fully female fan base, although of course there was a decent amount of fangirls by the barricade, but I don’t think I was expecting to see so many groups of just guys being dudes. Author’s note: This phenomenon (the overwhelming presence of male human beings at indie poppy-ish shows) is something I’ve actually noticed before with other Australian bands in particular, like Vacations and Spacey Jane, and maybe one day I will make a study and write about it but that day is not today!

One of my favorite songs on Royel Otis’ entire discography thankfully remained on the setlist. “Motels” from their 2022 EP Bar & Grill is to me one of the best tracks they’ve ever released, and I am so happy they also think it’s deserving of a live performance every night. Otis’s soft and velvety vocals have naturally changed with time, giving “Motels” a new spirit, but keeping it as one of their most melodic songs where the layering of voices stands out. Other than that, the band’s almost dissonant sound remained throughout the rest of the evening, with songs like “Foam,” “Claw Foot,” and “Sonic Blue” making the room roar. A similarly ecstatic song, “Bull Breed,” did not make the cut, and I will forever grieve it.

It’s hard for me to truly explain how magnetic the night felt. Royel Otis have become one of my favorite bands so quickly, and I’m probably still riding the “new-hyperfixation magic” of it all, but I have a feeling that it wasn’t just me thinking that this was a great night. A wave of warm, joyful energy seemed to have taken over the 2,500-capacity venue, matching the overall feeling you get when listening to Royel Otis. The way lyrics like “my baby eats me like a cheese” and “cheese won’t melt in the fire, please don’t turn into milk” are the ones you’re singing along to when you’re having the time of your life is just so amazing to me. In all seriousness though, singing along to songs like “ I Wanna Dance With You” and “Going Kokomo” surrounded by a couple thousand strangers can really heal something in you, at least for a while. After all, loving music is just about how it makes you feel, and Royel Otis’s discography has something in it that will always lift you up.

It is crazy to think that this is, still, just the beginning for them, and that there’s still so much for them to do, so many bigger stages to conquer, people to charm, and places to see and bring their giant shrimp to. It’s been so heartwarming to watch this band grow and evolve, and I am so grateful that the energy I get from listening to them alone is just as good as the one I feel when I’ve been lucky enough to see them perform. Royel Otis has already changed my and so many people’s relationship to music so much in such a short time, and I have no doubt they will continue to do so on and off the stage.

All upcoming dates for Royel Otis’s GLORY TO GLORY Tour can be found on their website.