The Constellation Tour brought Thee Sacred Souls, LA LOM and The Womack Sisters to Toronto’s RBC Amphitheatre on September 20 for an evening that took ticket holders for a soulful tour of the heart in the form of smooth tones, Latin-inspired instrumentals and timeless vocal harmonies. This North American tour brought together three acts with distinct sounds that complemented one another, making for a lineup that leaned into warm grooves and laid-back summer-night vibes – just a perfect combo to take advantage of especially at this outdoor venue. With Thee Sacred Souls continuing to grow their audience with recent singles and collaborations following the success of their first two albums, this Toronto stop was a huge opportunity for fans to hear both the songs that established the group as well as the newer material shaping their next chapter. According to lead vocalist Josh Lane, they haven’t been back since their show at History back in 2024 so naturally, this was a performance to look forward to, especially to those that missed that stop Halloween stop.
Opening the night were The Womack Sisters, the Los Angeles vocal trio carrying forward their family’s musical legacy through close harmonies and a classic soul sound. Their style was a natural fit for the evening, setting an intimate, old-school tone before the other acts took the stage. The sisters have also been building momentum with new music on Daptone Records, including their single Chauffeur, just released in August, giving them a timely new release to bring into the tour. They showcased amazing vocal skill and energy and it’s always an absolute treat to hear voices that layered well and fed off each other. Simply a talented triple threat!
LA LOM followed with their instrumental blend of cumbia, Latin rhythms, soul and vintage soundtrack-inspired sounds. As another LA trio playing the show, they delivered a spellbinding change of pace from the vocal-focused performances around them, with their groove-driven approach making them a strong fit for the bill. The party was on as soon as Zac Sokolow dropped the guitar intro to Luchando, a single they released back in March this year with Peruvian legends Los Mirlos. With bassist Jake Faulkner keeping the energy high and drummer Nick Baker holding down all of the drums in his disposal, this three-piece was a musical force and Toronto didn’t stand a chance. Their music brings together influences from different musical traditions without losing its easygoing, danceable feel, helping keep the atmosphere moving as the crowd moved with it ahead of the headliners. Their appearance also continued the band’s growing presence on larger North American stages, including this summer’s Constellation Tour. After closing the loop with a high-energy cover of El Sonido de los Mirlos and seeing the audience erupt out of their seats in dance, it’s clear LA LOM has more than what it takes to continue their momentum.
With The Lovelites’ You Said You Wouldn’t Break My Heart lulling the crowd into a sense of ease under dimmed lights, Thee Sacred Souls stepped onto the stage to kick off their set with a lovely instrumental intro with bassist Sal Samano already holding down the groove, complimented by The Channeltone Horns with Dalton Mumphrey on the sax. Josh Lane, with cup in hand, joins the band for their opener Love Comes Easy, a perfect icebreaker to a set full of emotion and feeling. Blending nicely straight into Lucid Girl, it definitely set the bar for the level of tranquility that Toronto was in for. Shoutouts to strong women like Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, and The Womack Sisters got big love from the crowd just to be sideswiped by Will I See You Again? where the band immediately settled into the smooth, warm sound that has become their signature. The only thing that got more love was Josh’s “two-twos to my word, Toronto, we’re gonna need your help” to preface this 2021 track. It’s one thing for artists to say they love a city, but it’s another thing when they show how much they know and if you know T-dot, deep cut memes and slang can get you pretty far. Josh’s appreciation didn’t stop there either after he “jumped that fence” into the crowd like the lyrics in the song – an audience experience he seems to make sure he provides across the tour to show his love up close where he can.
Vianē Escobar on backup vocals deserves a mention here too after getting the spotlight on this early hit (as well as some other later songs in the set) that really compliments Josh’s tones, even while he makes his way back to the stage. She also kicks off Let Me Feel Your Charm and with Andy Delos Santos by her side (as well as a baby!), vocals for the night felt armed to the teeth. More themes about love and the work involved continued with Easier Said Than Done that kept that groove going before Lady Love and Love Is the Way brought some of the more romantic side of the band’s catalogue to the forefront. This early part of the set felt less like a rush through the hits and more like a gradual build, giving each song room to breathe. Good things really do take time and Thee Sacred Souls more than got their messages about love across especially in a time where it might feel like it’s really tough to find anywhere.
The middle of the performance continued moving between older favourites and newer material, with We Don’t Have to Be Alone, There She Is and Any Old Fool keeping the crowd locked into the band’s relaxed rhythm and pace that felt like if the ocean waves danced to a beat. Any Old Fool that was released back in April was extra groovy in particular, especially with drummer Alex Garcia getting to flex his chops on a satisfying drum break mid-song. My Heart Is Drowning and Waiting on the Right Time took things for a bit of a turn and added a more reflective feel, while Weak for Your Love and On My Mind brought things back toward the group’s soulful, groove-heavy side with Josh dedicating the former to “all the pretty ladies” matching the opening lyrics. “”Baby, I go crazy for your love” were lyrics that stood out as well with the entire venue singing it back to close the song for the band. The set’s pacing worked particularly well here, allowing the songs from their two studio albums to sit naturally alongside one another rather than feeling like separate eras.
The final stretch picked up with Running Away where Josh “ran away” into the crowd deeper than before and then going straight into Future Lover kicking off in the audience really testing the wireless mic’s range. Phones raised up across the Amphitheatre to capture all of these moments while some couples ignored it completely to focus on each other taking the opportunity to dance to such smooth and easygoing songs.
The encore was sparked by a short stint of Josh Lane on the drums before the rest of the ensemble came back for Live for You and Can I Call You Rose?, the track everyone knew was still in the chamber. While the very catchy, Marvin Gaye-reminiscent Live for You kept the positive messages and crowd energy going, the latter was an especially fitting way to close the night as one of the songs that helped put Thee Sacred Souls on the map and it was just as effective in a live setting. Dedicating the song to anybody named Rose, Josh didn’t even need to sing the first line because Toronto took some of the load without hesitation. It just shows how it’s one of those tracks that everyone and their mother knows at this point and a great sendoff to a performance that brought cozy vibes driven by dulcet tones.
Although the show came to an end with what felt like the beginning, fans must be glad to see this San Diego group continue to release new music and expand beyond the material that first introduced them to listeners. This Toronto set reinforced that and showed that their appeal goes well beyond nostalgia. They have a growing catalogue now, but the same soulful chemistry remains at the heart of the band as well as their music, and just like the fans, it feels like Thee Sacred Souls love to keep it that way.