By Troy Sanchez | 30 August, 2022
“THIS TOWN IS THE REASON THIS WHOLE AFTER HOURS UNIVERSE EXISTS…. TONIGHT’S A SPECIAL ONE!” The Weeknd tweeted before his sold out show in LasVegas. His highly anticipated performance was postponed twice: once due to the pandemic and then due to venue changes because he wanted to go from an arena tour to a stadium tour. I was lucky enough to be one of those people that got to experience this extraordinary show.
After two great opening sets by DJ Mike Dean and Canadian soul singer Kaytranada, who played some of his mixes with H.E.R. Normani, and Kali Uchis, the stage was cleared and the lights went out. The crowd roared as a projection of the Weeknd pulled up on the screen. Sadly, Abel was only teasing the crowd with his new TV series, Idol.
The stadium lights went down and white beams of light came from the main stage. The crowd jumped to their feet and the fans went crazy. The lights changed to a bright red showing a rundown apocalyptic city which resembled Las Vegas. The lights also lit up one of the biggest moon set pieces you have ever seen.
The intro to “Alone Again” played as red ghost-like figures dispersed along the edge of the stage when suddenly The Weeknd rose from one of the run down buildings in a black trench coat and mask.
He welcomed the crowd “IN VEGAS, I feel so at home” then smoothly transitioned to “Gasoline,” one of my personal favorites off Dawn FM. Once the song started, the stadium filled with blue and green lights.
He played so many of his greatest hits. He weaved between his tremendous catalog of music with songs like “How Do I Make You Love Me?”, “Take My Breath”, and “Out Of Time '' from Dawn FM and he graced our ears with songs from his early album Beauty Behind the Madness, like his #1 hits “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills” while the makeshift city behind him was on fire.
We even heard some songs from Starboy. The transition between Drake’s “Crew Love” which featured The Weeknd to the title track “Starboy” was one of the cleanest transitions of the night. After so many electric performances, we finally got to slow it down as he performed “Die For You.” He did this under the huge moon set piece while lights of blues and reds helped to set the mood. We stayed on this slow and sultry path with songs like “I Was Never There” and from the short six song EP My Dear Melancholy we heard “Call Out My Name”.
The crowd got back into an upbeat energy with “Save Your Tears”. The lights on the set changed back to the beautiful blue and green. This was probably one of the shortest songs played, but was still such a powerful moment. Abel would stop singing, allowing the crowd to sing “Save Your Tears For Another Day.” His vocal performance during this particular song was unmatched: he held every note and his vocal runs demonstrated his skill as an artist.
To end the show The Weeknd pulled out a familiar looking item: the iconic red blazer from his After Hours era. “I made a promise I would never wear this fucking jacket again but since I’m in motherf****ing Las Vegas, the reason why After Hours even exists is because of this town,” he said. “We are going to rock it out one more time. I promise this is the last time I will wear this jacket for you!” The crowd was the loudest it had been all night. Then, the beat dropped as he played one of his biggest hits “Blinding Lights”.
The crowd was jumping and going all out knowing this was the last song of the night. He even got emotional thanking the people of Las Vegas many times showing them a tremendous amount of love. The crowd responded accordingly with its overwhelming applause and cheers. The lights on the catwalk filled the whole stadium from floor to ceiling like pillars of light.At the same time lights on the bracelets given to the fans at the beginning of the concert started to twinkle, making the stadium look as if it was filled with stars. Finally, The Weeknd blew a kiss to the audience, took a bow and left the stage: the show was over.
As the lights for the stadium came back on, I was left in awe as I returned to our world from the one that The Weeknd had just taken us to. The emotional roller coaster we went on, from all the upbeat highs to the sad lows, the fans felt it all. This is why The Weeknd has achieved global success: his music makes you feel something every time you listen.
The different ages of fans that attended this concert shows how The Weeknd is not just a generational artist; he is timeless. Being a fan of his for so long, but never having the opportunity to see him live, I am so grateful for the energy at the Las Vegas show I got to attend.
A show like The Weeknd’s is what being a fan is all about: waiting till midnight to hear their new music, listening to it everyday and learning every single word, and then finally getting to see them live in concert. Nothing compares to being in the same venue as one of your favorite artists, and getting to sing their songs at the top of your lungs together.
The Weeknd spoiled his fans with such a spectacular show. The lighting design, the stage presence, and amazing vocals, helped bring our favorite songs to life. This show is one you won't want to miss. I am so glad I didn’t.
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