The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye)Handout
Less than a year ago, his name was barely known; but thanks to three self-released mixtapes and a recording with Drake, 22-year-old Abel Tesfaye – aka the Weeknd – is a musician on a meteoric rise.
Known for his pitch black, densely atmospheric R&B, the Toronto rapper-producer hits beautiful falsetto highs as his lyrics chronicle life's darker depths – a sound that megastar Drake, who made an appearance at a recent L.A. concert, called "the greatest thing to happen to music in a long time."
Of course with fans like Drake and Diddy, who has also been spotted at his shows, as well as fawning critics, tickets are scarce – so much so that they're selling for $150 a pop on Craigslist.
But it could be a small price to pay for a great performance, and to be able to one day say "I saw him at the Commodore."
The Weeknd plays the Commodore on Saturday (ticketmaster.ca).