This last Friday, October 24, singer/songwriter Sombr played at the WAMU theater in Seattle. I had the absolute privilege to be able to go, and I had so much fun. I went with a group of friends and my best friend/sister, and we were able to wiggle our way through the crowd for an insanely close view since WAMU is general admission. Overall, WAMU is not the greatest venue when it comes to “fairness” in terms of entry. I could get really picky with the way they funnel everyone into the theater, but since our spot turned out so great, I won’t! One of my friends (shout out Saira) got to the theater at around 1:30 and got a great spot in line. Apparently, Sombr was even outside giving donuts to the early fans, which I’m bummed I missed. But the show was so great, it hardly matters.
Devon Gabriella opened at about 8 pm, and she was great! She had a folky/soft rock style, which gives a very sunny spring/summer morning vibe, and a voice that reminds me a lot of Olivia Rodrigo. She played about nine songs total, my favorite being The Garden, the first in her setlist. She covered Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” and had the whole theater singing along with her. I really loved her outfit, a cute white knit skirt and top set, and her overall stage presence was just ethereal. I would really recommend her music, especially to fans of Olivia Rodrigo.
After Devon Gabriella, there was a bit of a set adjustment as the crew prepared for Sombr. While this was going on, someone called from behind us to security that there was a fight starting! Some grown woman was yelling about a wheelchair? I’m not really sure what happened, but it was kind of entertaining while we waited.
Finally, around 9, Sombr came on. He opened with “I Wish I Knew How to Quit You”, and it was so, so good. At this point, I was really freaking out because he was so close to us. He looked super hot and was wearing these great velvet pants. The speakers were insanely loud, and I could feel the music in my chest. During the first song, and a couple of other times during the show, he fake-attacked his guitarist, and they were rolling and “fighting” on the ground. Honestly, I’m not really sure what that was about, but it was pretty funny. He then played “Savior” and introduced the show. His set was a very retro-style late-night show type, and he had a mysterious voice-over interviewer asking him questions throughout the show. If you can’t already tell, I am a big fan of Sombr and his music, and as they played most of their set, I was having a blast sing-screaming my heart out. I think I was so excited that I blacked out for some of the show because I can’t remember it all lol.
At one point, he brought a couple of fans up on stage to call their exes, a Sombr concert ritual. None of the guys picked up, though, which was a bummer. There were also people all around us who had clever/slightly absurd signs, and I kind of wish I had made one. He read one that said, “I sold feet pics to be here,” which I thought was funny. Throughout the whole show, he interacted with the crowd, pointing to signs and fans, and had a flirty and fun stage presence. He was very entertaining and did a lot to involve the fans.
When he played his hits at the end of the night, the whole crowd was singing along. He played “Undressed”, “Canal Street”, etc., and ended with “12 to 12”. He also told us that his Seattle show was the biggest of his tour so far, and was very appreciative of our support. He seemed genuinely in awe of the crowd when everyone sang to his music, which I thought was super cute.
When they finished playing “12 to 12”, Sombr and his band left the stage, and there was no encore. The lights turned back on, and it was over. In total, it ran about an hour and a half, but felt like ten minutes.
There’s been some controversy online recently about his concerts, but I won’t add to it. I thought his show was great; the music was phenomenal, the set was gorgeous, and Sombr and the band had a great stage presence. If he comes back to Seattle, I would highly recommend! I would love to go again.