The Weeknd delivers After Hours til Dawn Tour to the Bay Area

There is a noticeable lack of male pop stars in today’s music industry that are capable of putting on a flashy, yet fabulous performance. Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, is an artist able to do just that. The After Hours Til Dawn Tour made its way to the Bay Area for two sold-out nights — a feat which made The Weeknd the highest-grossing male solo artist in Levi’s Stadium history.

Red cloaked dancers filed onto the stage during psychedelic opener “The Abyss” off The Weeknd’s latest release Hurry Up Tomorrow. As the intro swelled, the dancers parted to reveal The Weeknd, adorned in a shimmering black-and-gold cloak. A gold metallic mask covered the majority of his face for the first few songs, pairing well with the ominous stage setting and choreography. After trap-esque hits “Starboy” and “Heartless”, he lifted his mask to reveal his face; a warmer presence in comparison to his production. Known for his seductive, sensual, and dark undertones in his songs, The Weeknd’s stage presence is quite the opposite.

The Weeknd made sure the Bay Area knew his full appreciation for showing out.

The show’s production was beautifully curated. Bracelets were handed out to fans as they walked into the stadium, helping contribute to the lighting design with bright colors and timed strobes. The set featured a multitude of songs across The Weeknd‘s impressive 15-year career and his vocals sounded the exact same as — if not better than — his studio recordings. From his velvety high notes to seamless riffs, even in a massive stadium, he was able to connect with the crowd sprinkling in city-specific ad libs in songs. For instance, during “Out of Time”, The Weeknd went down to the barricade and picked a group of fans to sing the chorus into the microphone with him.

About halfway through the set, opener Playboi Carti came back onstage to perform his collaborations “Timeless” and “RATHER LIE” with The Weeknd, both of which raised the audience’s energy after a few downtempo songs off of Dawn FM and Hurry Up Tomorrow. “Stargirl Interlude” served as the perfect transition piece as The Weeknd stepped offstage for an impressively short break, only to return to perform ultimate throwbacks “The Morning” and “Wicked Games” off his early record, House of Balloons. “Moth to a Flame”, his collaboration with electronic group Swedish House Mafia, concluded the night with full pyrotechnics and even a fireworks show! In a nearly three-hour show, The Weeknd never faltered once, belting out high notes until the final beat.

Photography by Sabrina Poei

Share this article

or