RECAP: ASHE BRINGS 'TRILOGY TOUR' TO DANFORTH MUSIC HALL IN TORONTO

On June 5th, California-born singer-songwriter Ashe brought her signature mix of vulnerability and fire to a packed Danforth Music Hall in Toronto — the only Canadian date on her 2025 tour. The 1,500-capacity venue was completely packed, a testament to the growing loyalty of fans who’ve followed her since Moral of the Story first exploded in 2020.

Photos by Kianna Sumitami / Backspin Canada

Known for her vintage glam aesthetic, brutally honest lyrics, and classically trained voice, Ashe (born Ashlyn Rae Willson) has spent the last five years building an identity that refuses to stay in one lane. Her 2021 debut album Ashlyn introduced fans to her ability to package heartbreak into stadium-ready hooks, while Rae, released in 2022, leaned even further into liberation and self-discovery.

In Toronto, Ashe played with that duality all night — warm and witty one moment, aching and exposed the next. She opened with “Please Don’t Fall in Love With Me,” pulling the room in immediately. From there, she walked the crowd through the emotional terrain of Running Out of Time, I Wanna Love You (But I Don’t), and Serial Monogamist — songs that live between cynicism and hope.

Throughout the set, she stayed connected — not just by chatting between songs, but by letting the music breathe. “Another Man’s Jeans” and “Angry Woman” brought full-volume singalongs, while quieter moments like “Save Myself” and “Love Is Letting Go/Cold in California” had fans swaying in near-silence.

The moment that defined the night, however, came when Ashe introduced “The Little Mess You Made.” The unreleased track marks the official debut of The Favors, a new band she’s formed with longtime collaborator FINNEAS. It was her only performance of the song on tour so far — a live-first reveal that left the crowd hanging on every word. It's darker, sharper, and more sonically ambitious than anything she's done under her solo name to date.

Ashe’s stage presence has always felt personal, like you’re watching a friend unpack her diary in real-time. But now, she’s evolving into something bigger — something that blends her old-school songwriting chops with modern theatricality. It’s no longer about breakup anthems or vintage dresses. It’s about ownership, reinvention, and saying what needs to be said — even when it’s messy.

She closed the night with “Till Forever Falls Apart” and returned for a solo encore of “Moral of the Story,” the song that first put her on the map. But this time, it didn’t feel like nostalgia. It felt like closure.

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