In the blazing Phoenix heat, fans came out to cool down at The Van Buren for The Big Picture Tour last week. Headlined by Saba and joined by Ovrkast, the show was a refreshing break from the summer doldrums as these two artists got Arizona up and moving on a Friday night.
California rapper Ovrkast started the show with a drummer and a sound machine to build his performance from the ground up, thoroughly impressing the early crowd. The stage was bathed in red and blue lights as he sauntered back and forth while keeping his rhythm flowing ever so smoothly throughout the set. His time on stage was brief but very memorable, warming up the room for the night’s headlining moment.
Blinding lights illuminated the stage as Saba’s band emerged onto a set akin to a living room, complete with framed photos on the walls and a cozy feeling of intimacy at The Van Buren. Saba himself took the stage to huge cheers from the crowd, kicking off the set with “Stop Playing with Me” and the impossibly catchy “Stomping”.
Saba was all smiles as the audience sang along to “Crash” and “Ziplock”, filling the stage and the room with his sunny presence as he kept the mood positive through the energy of his music. The fans did their part, dressed to the nines in their weekend best- with many already rocking the tour merch- and raising their voices to chant Saba’s name at nearly every pause between songs.
Almost 20 songs later brought about the evening’s finale and the fans were not ready to relinquish the night just yet. Saba provided an incredible evening of relief from the oppressive June heat, bringing heat of a different kind to The Van Buren. He closed out with “She Called It” and “Westside Bound Pt. 4” to round out another amazing stop on The Big Picture Tour.
