After years of singer-songwriter The Weeknd producing stunningly detailed videos and visuals to accompany his already heavily textured music, there was no doubt that his first stadium tour would be a grand spectacle.
The 32-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter, whose birth name is Abel Tesfaye, is out touring in support of two albums: 2020’s successful “After Hours” and his latest, “Dawn FM,” which dropped in January of this year. He masterfully mashed up the mood of both records as his After Hours Til Dawn Tour hit SoFi Stadium on Friday night, Sept. 2 for the first of two sold out shows at the Inglewood venue.
Following DJs Mike Dean and Kaytranada warming up the crowd, The Weeknd presented a nearly two-hour set that included 29 songs and a whole lot of cool effects and emotion. He kicked things off sporting a creepy, flesh-colored mask that covered the top half of his face and launched into “Alone Again,” which gave way to the fiery “Gasoline.”
He stood up on the massive stage, surrounded by what looked like the ruins of a once-thriving city, as about a dozen or so people, shrouded in red fabric from head to toe and wearing black gloves, marched in tune down a lengthy catwalk that split the floor of the stadium. It was a bit ominous, but seemed totally on brand with both the music and the fact that he’ll be debuting his very own dark attraction, The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare, at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights event next week.
When he slowly peeled the mask off to reveal an excited expression on his face, the audience went wild. Having been to previous concerts and even attending Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium, I can confidently say that this was one of the loudest audiences in recent memory. The sheer volume of enthusiastic screams easily rivaled each time I’ve covered a BTS performance; the one time Justin Bieber showed up to sing at an Ariana Grande show; and one of One Direction’s final sets that I caught at Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena).
It was an endlessly entertaining, hit-filled concert that kept the fans on their feet, especially down on the floor where they danced and fist pumped along to the one-two-punch of songs like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Take My Breath.” It was part disco, part rave and an absolute party led by a charismatic performer with smooth vocals and the magical ability to make a packed stadium somehow feel like an intimate club gig.
The Weeknd’s revelers were continuously drenched by lighting that matched the feel of each track. It was a fully immersive experience as the bass shook the floors and the set on stage came to life, billowing thick black smoke during a cover of Kanye West’s “Hurricane” and fully igniting with flames for “The Hills.”
At times, it felt like complete blissful chaos, especially when huge bursts of fire melted the faces of those soaking it all in on the floor. As if it hadn’t already been 100 degrees outside all day, some of the more heated sections of the performance definitely roasted the crowd, and Tesfaye, too. He was sweating up a storm as he ran, essentially the length of a football field, several times throughout the evening without missing a beat.
However, there were a few moments when he stopped to catch his breath and took the time to observe the crowd. After “I Feel It Coming,” he stood on the stage in the middle of the stadium as fans cheered.
There weren’t many big screens that showed what was happening on stage, something that seemed intentional and kept the venue darker and forced people to watch the entire stage setup rather than a single screen throughout the show. But as the cameras panned the singer and zoomed in on his expression, which was flashed on the few smaller available screens, I couldn’t tell if he was tearing up or sweating, but he was definitely in the moment. He put his hand over his heart and as his smile grew wider, the crowd cheered louder and louder, until it was just this single high-pitched squeal that made your ears ring. He broke up the madness with an “Oh my God,” he said, letting out a deep breath. “SoFi Stadium … two nights, sold out, back-to-back, because of you.”
And the screaming resumed.
The set included a total of seven songs from “Dawn FM” and six from “After Hours” and was peppered with previous hits such as the title track from his “Starboy” record and the fan-favorite, “Die For You.” Aside from playing the mega hits — “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills” — off of “Beauty Behind the Madness,” he also busted out, “Often,” which got a huge response from the audience. He threw in a few songs by other artists he’s collaborated with as well, including Drake’s “Crew Love,” Future’s “Low Life” and a bit of “Or Nah” by Ty Dolla Sign.
While the song “Less Than Zero” could have served as a perfect show closer, this crowd knew what was coming. There wasn’t really an encore, just a pause to let “Less Than Zero” get its due, before the familiar notes of the keys intro to The Weeknd’s ’80s-tinged hit “Blinding Lights” kicked in. This was it, this was the moment to let it all loose and both performer and fans seized that opportunity, wrapping up the night with some explosive fun.
The Weeknd: After Hours Til Dawn Tour
When: Friday, Sept. 2
Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood
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