December 10, 2015 · by · in ,

It’s midnight on a Friday morning, and Vancouver is freezing cold. Where better to be than in your warm bed? With the rainy West Coast weather causing a stir outside, there’s no reason to be out and about this time of night, right? Wrong. For an elite, on-the-ball group of individuals packed into the staircase-heavy Alexander Gastown, a special performance was underway. For those who weren’t there– sorry about it, because this is going to be one of those shows that your friends who ended up with tickets to will be bragging about for a while. Toronto R&B duo Majid Jordan (that’s singer Majid Al Maskati and producer Jordan Ullman) rolled in at the ungodly hour scheduled for their set, and judging by the excitement and energy level in the house it almost felt like time didn’t matter anymore, and neither did the rain or absolutely anything other than being present and enjoying the show. And there was a lot to enjoy. Short but sweet, Al Maskati and Ullman played a brief 40-minute set,making their way through their plethora of Internet singles as well as teased upcoming material from their self-titled debut which will drop in February. You heard correctly, Majid Jordan doesn’t even have a proper full-length out yet. Just a handful of wide-circling MP3s that they’ve periodically dropped while building a name for themselves. Naturally, the connection of being signed to Toronto imprint OVO Sound and their close relationship with label founder Drake (maybe you’ve heard of him?) makes them an act to watch just by association. Co-writing and being featured on his smash 2013 single “Hold On, We’re Going Home” may have opened the gates, but Majid Jordan are aiming to prove they’re looking to carve a name in their own regard. Photography by for . The sold out set at the Alexander could have convinced even the firmest non-believers that this duo is the real thing. Ullman tinkers away at synths and keys, smiling in approval. Meanwhile, Majid Al Maskati stands center stage,staring up at the spiral staircase crowded with excited fans, delivering one of the most natural, beautiful vocal performances in recent history. The dude sure makes it look easy. Calmly perched behind his mic stand and holding his hands in a prayer formation, the music just seems to burst out of him without much effort. A venerable play-by-play of everything these guys have released so far, the set carved out a hit list for those familiar and doubled as a worthy sell to new listeners in the house. Hearing the sexy, slinky beats of “Her” live and listening to Al Maskati’s impressive vocal delivery on tracks like “My Love” and “Something About You” give Majid Jordan a worthy amount of both street cred and praise. That’s the thing with this ‘PBR&B’ genre label that’s been tacked on to these guys– lots of people can make this stuff sound good on record, but few have the genuine chops to back it up in a live set. This pair is the real deal, though. At one point in the set, Jordan leaveshis keys and picks up an acoustic guitar for a stripped down, introspective moment just to add another layer of musicality and as if to prove a point that this ain’t no one trick pony. But most of the set features upbeat, dance-inspiring tunes that are perfect for this crowd. On “Forever,” Al Maskati croons “Can’t stop the way that you make me feel, something about this just feels so real,” and the lyrics seem to act like social glue, inspiring the drunk youngins to start smooching all around me. On “A Place Like This,” the ’90s R&B notes are fully in effect, but Al Maskati has the voice required to create a memorable, cohesive musical moment that matches the rest of the music perfectly. Majid Jordan are only getting started, and this special, intimate performance will mean even more once they’ve fully blown up. Photography by  for .