With the release of his newest album, Ivory, Omar Apollo has discovered newfound popularity and expanded his fan base. Thanks to apps like TikTok, his single for the album, Evergreen, was used as a sound and dominated many people’s For You Pages. However, from my own perspective, this growth in his fanbase would not be possible without the talent he has both on and off stage.
I have followed Omar Apollo and his music since his 2019 EP release “Ashamed.” When I saw that he was on tour, I decided I had to go. The show was in Brooklyn, New York City on November 27, 2022, in Kings Theater. The venue absolutely shocked me. It was almost as if I traveled back in time to see an Opera performance or some other high-class event. The ceiling was ornately detailed with gold accents and light pink and blue paint. I felt very high class. Unfortunately, in typical New York City fashion, the train we needed to get to King’s Theater was down for the day, so we missed his opening act. However, arriving at the venue I only felt my anticipation grow.
It wasn’t long before Omar took the stage. He was immediately the center of attention with his glittery suit and incredible stage production. His energy was intense and shared amongst the entire audience. His first impression was a string of dance moves, some of which seemed inspired by Michael Jackson, which set the tone for the rest of his set. You could tell he was happy to be on that stage and for an artist’s performance, that authenticity genuinely makes a difference. He began with one of my favorite songs, “Talk,” and that’s when I knew this was going to be one of my favorite concerts I had ever gone to.
Of course, Omar sang his most popular songs, but it was also refreshing to hear his older songs mixed into the setlist. Songs like “Frio” and “Hit Me Up” were a welcome surprise and I struggled to contain my excitement at the start of each of them, although I was like that each time he started a new song. The smaller venue made any seat in the theater good; however, I would say mine were better than others (not to brag). I had a clear view of him and I was so grateful to be able to have an unobstructed view as a certified short person. All of these things contributed to such an incredible concert experience.
Not only was it the small things that made my time at the concert so fun, but Omar was so interactive with the audience that it made it so much more fun and entertaining. He would consistently talk to people in the general admission pit (I wish that was me) and he really appeared to be enjoying himself. At one point he was asking anyone if they could actually sing, and many people claimed they could. He actually handed people the microphone and told them to sing “anything” to see if they actually could. Although some people just took the microphone to say hi to him, one person actually sang part of his song “Evergreen” and they were pretty good. The entire theater erupted in screams and cheered on the brave audience member as Omar applauded their courage and laughed with enjoyment. His fun energy and talent made for such an enjoyable concert, and I hope to see him again in the future.
Can’t get enough of HC UMass Amherst? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, listen to us on Spotify, like us on Facebook, and read our latest Tweets!