With an earlier show time starting at 7:00 pm, I arrived too late to catch Ravyn Lenae and only caught the end of Smino’s set. Although I was only there for a couple songs, it was pretty evident that people were digging Smino. Audience members pressed themselves close to the stage leaving only the areas surrounding the bars as clear walkways.
The Main Event
I snagged a prime short-person viewing spot in the elevated area behind the sound booth where I could see without tiptoeing and shifting side to side. SZA’s first sold out date at Concord Music Hall did not disappoint. The crowd waited in anticipation as the stage crew unveiled the neon-light outlined “CTRL” sign serving as the tour’s backdrop.
She opened up with “Supermodel,” triggering what would become an hour-long sing-a-long. It was a true joy to watch her dancing around onstage. Her hair was mesmerizingly voluminous as she bopped around feeling each of the songs just as much as her fans were. She kept the vibes sassy and fun with an outfit that looked straight out of the nineties with baggy green pants and a bodysuit half hanging off like overalls. The packed house joined in on every song she performed off her CTRL album. She performed her Billboard Top 50 hit “Love Galore” before “Broken Clocks” and “Drew Barrymore.” The crowd hung onto every word of “Doves in the Wind,” with the largest crowd I’ve ever witnessed singing p*ssy out loud.
SZA gave her band members props throughout the set, giving special thanks to her guitarist for spending late nights co-writing some of her songs. Towards the end of the set, SZA took a brief break bring surprise her drummer with a birthday cake. It wasn’t until this point that I realized her pianist had been rocking short jorts. SZA confessed that she didn’t get to go to prom. She was traveling with her mom instead and wrote the song “Prom.” She rounded off her set by closing with “20 Something.” I was about halfway towards the stairway out before I realized that she had jumped back on for an encore. She ended the night with crowd favorite “The Weekend,” leaving fans satisfied with this awesome show kicking off the long weekend.