The Arizona heat turned steamy with Omar Apollo’s arrival on the penultimate stop of his God Said No Tour on Thursday night. In the unhinged nature of the end of a long journey, the sultry singer was tipsy off tequila and delivered a performance that had his audience fanning themselves and singing along with a passion that surprised everyone onstage.
Kevin Abstract (formerly of Brockhampton) struck out on his own after the dissolution of the group and his weird and wonderful set delighted the early crowd. Preferring to leave the fog-filled stage to perch on the barricade or even walk directly into the audience, Abstract never let his flow waver and the fans fully respected his space while also giving him the energy he demanded.
The set opened with a series of his original songs- with “American Boyfriend” being a standout- before he gave the people a few Brockhampton cuts as well. One trip into the audience netted him a custom jacket from one starry-eyed fan whose inspiration was clear and genuine, drawing a huge grin from Abstract as he gave an onstage shoutout in gratitude. Though he only performed for about 30 minutes, the set packed a punch and had everyone warmed up for the spectacle to follow.
Arizona has been bereft of Omar Apollo appearances for many years now so his inclusion of the Valley on this tour routing immediately drew longtime fans to Mesa Amphitheatre. The stage was bathed in fog for Apollo’s dramatic entrance in a long fur coat and a troupe of dancers to kick off the night with “Be Careful With Me”.
Shedding the coat to reveal the sparkle underneath, Apollo and his crew got to work putting on one of the most incredible shows of the fall season. He’s a mesmerizing performer and his dancers only added to the magnetism that drew every eye to Apollo and the sinuous choreography on “Spite”.
“Can someone bring me more tequila?” he shouted midway through the set, cheekily grinning at the front row before a cup was procured and night continued. His incredible band joined him in the middle of the stage for “En el olvido” and “Dos uno nueve (219)” as the crowd sang along in stellar Spanish. Apollo even hand-selected fans from the audience to show off their best grito and the whoops echoed throughout the amphitheatre and set the tone of the second half of the set.
With Mesa’s strict noise ordinances, Apollo’s race to the end of the night was a sprint but he included plenty of tracks from his latest album before launching into the hits close to the end. “Kamikaze” and “Tamagotchi” were clear favorites and “Evergreen” drew the typical cheers into tears as the night came to a close. He ended right on time (despite having to cut a couple of tracks) and the audience climbed the stairs out of the venue as the last notes faded out on a truly amazing show.
Apollo has been away from Arizona for far too long but the fans forgave and forgot after such a special evening under the stars- their glow matched only by Apollo’s glittering shoes. Both Abstract and Apollo were pleasantly surprised and charmed by Mesa’s energy- we’ll see if that convinces them both to return on their next tour.
