Madison Square Garden is one of the most honored and prestigious venues in the world for both the performers and the people in attendance. It’s said to be one of the best and biggest moments in a performer’s career whenever they get the privilege to take the stage. Some of the biggest names in music including Harry Styles, Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones, and Elton John have been honored at the acclaimed venue for their numerous shows and residencies. Ashton Dumar Norwill Simmonds, also known as the singer/songwriter Daniel Caesar, just reached this stupendous goal on Oct. 17, which I had the privilege of being a part of. From surprise appearances, acoustic performances, and standing ovations, this show was spectacular from beginning to end, with openers to the main artist, top to bottom.
At the age of 28, Daniel Caesar has sold out Madison Square Garden, acquired over 20 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and has won iconic awards such as Grammys and MTV Video Music Awards. Along with this, Daniel Caesar has worked with artists such as Justin Beiber, Kali Uchis, Jacob Collier, and H.E.R. Touring his third studio album, Never Enough, with Montell Fish, Omar Apollo, Charlotte Day Wilson, BADBADNOTGOOD, Orion Sun, Moses Sumney, and Flying Lotus, Daniel Caesar makes it clear he’s a big fan of his openers and wants to share how much he appreciates their artistry. At Madison Square Garden, his openers were Montell Fish, former Christian rapper and Youtuber, and R&B singer/songwriter Omar Apollo.
Montell Fish’s performance was beautiful and emotional through and through. He went through his most popular songs including, “Fall in Love with You.,” “Hotel,” and “Talk 2 Me.” He was visibly feeling the music, eyes closed, body subconsciously moving, large headphones on. At one point during “I Just Wanna Feel Your Love Again,” he brought out a small choir. This song was recently released which left a quiet crowd to sit and relish in the beauty of Montell Fish’s amazing vocals and the stunning choir he brought in. His performance was powerful and was a great opener for both Daniel Caesar and Omar Apollo.
As someone who’s a massive fan of Omar Apollo, he was a large factor in my decision to attend this concert in the first place. Any and all live clips of Omar Apollo that I have seen have always been extremely entertaining and vocally wonderful. I saw Apollo a little less than a year ago in my hometown at a venue whose maximum capacity was about 1,500; now, he’s performing at Madison Square Garden, which holds approximately 20,000 people. His performance was full of range, from beautiful ranchera songs such as “En El Olvido” to R&B songs such as “Ice Slippin,” which was recently released on his new EP titled Live For Me. Omar Apollo has a very captivating energy that encourages crowd interactions and excitement. He performed songs from all eras in his career including “Tamagotchi,” “Endlessly,” “3 Boys,” “Frío,” and “Ugotme.” Omar Apollo puts on a show physically, emotionally, and, most importantly, vocally. His range is impeccable and his talent is extremely underrated.
Daniel Caesar creates a personal and emotional space with his fans through his stage presence and stage presentation. There’s an immediate personal aspect as he shows video of his friends and family and team praying as a part of his pre-show ritual. He uses a curtain for his first couple of songs, enclosing himself like a butterfly trapped in its cocoon. Starting off with the banger “Ocho Rios” from his third studio album had the crowd enthralled and stuck in genuine awe of his sheer and raw vocals. From there he continues through a portion of songs from his new album such as “Let Me Go,” “Disillusioned,” and “Toronto 2014” and then into a portion of his old music dating back to his first and second studio albums. This includes his popular songs “CYANIDE” and “Japanese Denim,” which is one of my personal favorites. He was 100% present with his audience the entirety of the show, expressing his gratitude and shock that he was performing in such a huge and honored venue.
One of the best parts of the entire show was the surprise Daniel Caesar had in store for us. He brought out a special guest for his most popular song, “Best Part” featuring the singer/songwriter H.E.R. He brought H.E.R. out to sing her part in the song, while a candid camera zoomed in on people in the pit. Couples were seen staring into each other’s eyes while kissing and friends yelled the words to each other. The entire room was honed in on this breathtaking and beautiful acoustic performance of such a heartwarming and nostalgic song. H.E.R delivered her warm and powerful vocals as usual, greeting the eager and excited crowd. Daniel and H.E.R.’s voices blended so well and created such an intimate space for everyone. I had never been to such a large concert, surrounded by so many people, and felt so small.
If you ever decide to go to a concert alone, I’d recommend attending a Daniel Caesar concert. This was my first time going to anything alone and I enjoyed the experience thoroughly. While there, I met and spoke to really kind people, as Daniel Caesar’s fans were very welcoming and easy-going. I wasn’t anxious or worried about being judged for not knowing all of the words or not being the world’s biggest super-fan. I loved seeing the interactions between couples and close friends during the songs; it’s clear that Daniel Caesar’s music brings people to a place that is personal and evokes strong emotions. The feelings I had at his show were nothing short of magical and exhilarating. If you are ever hesitant to go to a Daniel Caesar concert, don’t be.