Singer’s triumphant HOMECOMING
Alessia Cara has toured with Coldplay, done Radio City Music Hall and gone gold — all before her first show at Massey Hall
The first time Alessia Cara is present for a performance at Massey Hall, it will be her own.
On Wednesday, Cara will wrap what feels like an endless array of tour dates with a hometown gig at the historical venue, where she concedes she’s never actually been. It’s just another cap-feather in a blessed year that has seen the Brampton 20-year-old tour with Coldplay, mint her first gold record and issue a series of successful singles that proved that “Here” was no ephemeral fluke.
Ahead of her homecoming — and a wellearned break — Cara caught up with the Star.
I heard your gig at Radio City Music Hall went really well. And you’d been there before a few years ago as a tourist?
Yeah, I didn’t even get to go inside the venue. I wasn’t allowed inside. I was there as a drama student. We took an improv course at school, so they took us to different entertainment spots in New York. I just remember standing outside; it was a big deal to me. Then, I was really nervous for (that show) because not only is it a big show and the venue is such a big deal, but there were tons of people from my label (Def Jam) there. I wanted to make everyone proud and show them I could do things on my own.
I saw Ellen DeGeneres gave you sneakers after you did her show. What kind of sneakers are they? Do you still have them?
I do, actually. They’re like her own brand of shoe; it says “Ellen” on it. I think she has her own shoe. It’s incredible. (Doing her show) was awesome. She’s really, really nice. Just because she’s Ellen, it’s kind of an intimidating thing — she just makes you so comfortable.
You’ve done Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel’s shows, too. What stood out to you about doing the late-night circuit?
I mean, Fallon was awesome. Fallon and I spoke a lot before the show. It was really, really cool. I visited his show as a drama student years ago, so it’s kind of cool to have that fullcircle thing.
What was the highlight of touring with Coldplay?
There were so many things on that tour that were awesome. It was such a fun tour. They’re such a good band and amazing people. But getting to scare them at the end of the tour, on the last day, was kind of awesome. I got in a bear suit and I scared all of them. We started doing it amongst ourselves: we got this bear and people were just getting in it and scaring each other within our own crew. And I thought it would be an incredible idea to scare the band on the last day. They weren’t mad at me, which was nice. They did not know I was in there. They were pulling at it. They thought it was just a bear. You couldn’t even tell they were a huge, famous band. Everything down to what they would say, how they would dress, interact with people, was so chill and made you feel so comfortable.
Have you already planned out your life after the tour?
Yeah, actually, it’s weird — I have my life planned until February of next year. There’s something slightly settling and unsettling about that. I’m going to Europe to do promo, then I’m going to be doing a bunch of Christmas shows and radio shows in December. In January, I’m probably going to take some time off, hopefully working on some new stuff or relaxing a bit, because I’ve been going non-stop for years.
Where do you like to go when you’re back in Brampton?
When I’m home, because I’m so tired, I like to stay at home. I love going to my best friend’s house.