It’s Always Summer Somewhere with Khalid
Photo via Instagram
Do you like bedroom pop? Are you nostalgic for the years 2016-2018? Then the It’s Always Summer Somewhere Tour is for you! The It’s Always Summer Somewhere Tour kicked off in Las Vegas, Nevada this past weekend. The show is Khalid’s with Lauv as an opener. Both artists are coming from hiatuses that they both took for their mental health. This tour felt fun, vibey, and never took itself too seriously. The production value is so cool even if it doesn’t seem like much. The set design has these industrial style pieces that have different lighting depending on the songs. The vocals were off the charts from both artists given that they had plenty of time to hone their skills. I really enjoyed the placement of each song. There were plenty of fast and slow moments through Khalid’s hour and a half set that felt well thought out. The dynamics of each pick felt interesting and played well into his new album “after the sun goes down”. With songs like “please don’t call (333)”, “dumbstruck”, and into “ whenever you’re gone”.
There were two “moments” during the show that really captured my attention. First, was a fan moment where he picked two people from VIP to come on stage and had a mini Q&A for them before serenading them with a song. This was really sweet and totally in character for Khalid because not only was it a great fan moment which is almost a requirement in concerts nowadays, but it also allowed for him to have one on one time with fans that have stuck with him throughout his decade long career. At my particular show the two girls that were picked discussed when they first heard Khalid and what their favorite songs were. That laid back stripped down interaction fit so perfectly within the show.
Another moment that I absolutely adored was when he allowed his four dancers a chance to be introduced with a solo. Each dancer got about 30 seconds to a minute to show off some moves while their name and where they are from was put up on the screen behind them. This is another social moment that I’ve started to see becoming a trend and I really enjoy it! I love feeling like we as the audience feel like part of the show rather than just the audience. Plus, it’s so nice when artists take the time to show their appreciation for the people that help out the show together. Khalid was an artist I couldn’t imagine having dancers prior to his last album which had more dance type songs in it, but the dancers added so much to the life of the songs and even extended more character to Khalid as well. He was one of the most genuine artists that I have had the privilege of seeing and I admire that he knows exactly how he wants the show to feel, not just how it looks or sounds.
In his set he included some surprise songs and for Opening Night one of the covers was Fast Car by Tracy Chapman. This was a beautiful rendition with just him and an acoustic guitar and it felt super intimate and was a great way to show off vocally how much his vibe has shifted. The overall performance of the whole tour is super chill, vibey, and feels like a nice ease back into the touring realm for both artists. If you missed the first few nights in Las Vegas or Denver not to fret! Tickets are still available for North America right now at the link below!