Ten years after his first headlining show at The Fillmore in San Francisco, Watsky returned to his iconic hometown venue for a celebratory sold out show. The Intention Tour rolled through on Saturday and the rapper and his crew gave the crowd a night to remember.
Daniel Riera- also known as Tito Tunes- started things off with his plethora of gear to create a set of improvised beats and instrumentals that got the fans grooving. Watsky’s well-known and loved for bringing his friends out on tour and Riera was no exception, mentioning that their friendship spans decades. While the entire set was crafted on the fly, Riera’s skills and ability to read the energy of the room ensured that the audience was ready for the rest of the show.
Feed the Biirds unveiled their neon bird backlight and took the stage to massive cheers from a room that’s very familiar with their work. Camila Recchio and Kush Mody put their musical prowess on display with Recchio’s incredible vocals and Mody’s multi-instrumental talents mesmerizing the room. The two also play in Watsky’s live band and their stamina powered them through both their set and the next.
Watsky pumped up his eager audience with a DJ between sets before the lights went down and the long wait finally came to an end. Standing in shadow, he recited (with plenty of help from a breathless room) “Tiny Glowing Screens Pt. 2” before quite literally jumping into “Brave New World”.
It has been a minute but we’re back- and Watsky is more than cognizant of the fact that it took four years and three canceled tours to reach this moment. Whether you’ve been in the room before or not, these shows are something special and the community that exists around this music enveloped both Watsky and his fans. His promise to play at least one song from each of his albums was met with thunderous cheering and he pulled some favorites out of the archive- including moments from Placement that never saw their moment in the sun during the pandemic.
Keeping in that spirit, Watsky sat for a moment mid-set to debut the live acoustic version of “Wounded Healer” for the first time on any of his tours. He clearly wanted people to move and groove but these pockets of nostalgia and emotion put tears on more than a few faces throughout the room. Then it was time for Intention to take center stage and we went for a “Float”.
“It’s called choreo, people!” he shouted emphatically after a synchronized performance of “What’s the Move?” with Recchio on vocal and dance assist. The rest of the show was a blur of new music, expressions of gratitude and enough jumping to shake the floor before the final “Whoa Whoa Whoa”.
The crowd wasn’t ready to give their hometown boy back just yet and Watsky returned for an encore that closed out with “Nothing Like the Last Time”- and while this might be his last tour for awhile, it’s certainly not goodbye.
Check out all the photos!
Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
