On the seventh stop of his tour, Lil Nas X (informally known as Montero) took the stage in Washington, DC. The Anthem, located on the Wharf, was packed with an incredibly dressed mass of fans who lined up hours before the doors opened in order to squeeze up to the front of the general admission pit.
This tour has been long awaited, celebrating the release of Lil Nas X’s first full album over one year ago, Montero. The show will continue to travel throughout the United States and a handful of European countries including France, Germany and Spain.
His creative content has drawn attention from media outlets in the past year from fans, but also from major companies and right-wing media organizations. The controversies have come in response to the music video for his song “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),”. The video is filled with religious imagery and allegories for homosexuality, mixed with humorous and symbolic scense of Lil Nas X being seduced in Adam and Eve’s Garden, pole-dancing down to hell, and twerking on the Devil. Needless to say this has drawn a significant amount of attention. Lil Nas X has also released several other music videos highlighting his queerness contrasted with traditionally heterosexual scenarios. He has made references to prominent pieces of queer media such as “Brokeback Mountain.”
The visuals for the album are threaded with religious references, and the image of the Transformative Butterfly, which were on full display throughout his performance. The show itself is structured as a musical, complete with a playbook and three separate acts and highlights some of his hits, as well as some of the songs that haven’t made it to the radio.
His music has been inspirational and foundational for members of the Black community and the queer community, as he sings about traumas that he has endured alongside these identies.
Lil Nas X incorporated elaborate costumes, talented dancers and incredible sets that transformed The Anthem into a futuristic city, the Garden of Eden, a palace, a prison and outer space all within the hour. It was significantly more elaborate than the average general admission concert at The Anthem.
The show closed out with an encore of his new song, “STAR WALKIN’”, followed by a kind and excited stage door appearance where he took photos with and greeted fans. It was a monumental performance and a fantastic conclusion to the summer.