Omar Apollo has always been a force to be reckoned with, but on his "God Said No" tour, he's shown how truly undefeatable he really is. From his vocal performance to the incredible skill of his dancers, the Portland show absolutely lived up to the hype I'd heard from the rest of tour. He played a wide mix of his newer music, including a very large chunk of his most recent project, God Said No.
I had the pleasure of seeing his show at McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale, Oregon (which is basically Portland.) I've seen Omar twice before, and both times consisted of, for the most part, just Omar and his band on the stage. This tour, he absolutely leveled up his performance. He introduced dancers and choreography, different props for different songs, and, my favorite part, lots of engagement with the crowd.
The lights dimmed and out came Omar clad in the floor-length fur coat he can be seen wearing on the album cover of God Said No. There's something so special about that very first moment you physically see the artist on stage. It always takes me a minute to absorb that they're right in front of me, and no matter how many times I see Omar, I think it will still always be like that. The months of anticipation, the laborious hours spent learning all the lyrics, the excitement-- it all bubbles to the surface during that first song. And, that first song was "Be Careful With Me." He and his dancers appeared front and center, introducing the production that is the "God Said No" tour.
My favorite song since day 1 of being an Omar fan has been "Useless." Needless to say, I was almost off my rocker when he transitioned into it as the second song of the set. His confidence on stage has grown so much over the years, and to feel his energy so strongly was such a wonderful part of the experience. The first five songs of the set were just exquisite. After "Useless", he went right into three of my favorite songs from the new album, "Spite," "Less of You," and "Done With You,"-- all back to back. I can't emphasize how much the dancing set the bar for the crowd, too.
One thing I loved about the new album is how different the sound is on each song, and how flawlessly the changing of energies is executed. "Drifting" is an incredibly unique track, one that is simoultaneously solemn and hopeful. It has a beautiful life of it's own that Omar was able to translate to the crowd while on stage
"How" is one of my absolute favorites from the album. It combines Omar's love for rap-like interludes with a powerful chorus in a way that is unique to him. He sings, "How are you living your life? / How you keeping living a lie?" Something about this track takes over me entirely; I feel the same way about "Glow," which didn't come until later in the set, so I'll come back to it.
The most entertaining part of the show was by far the portion in which Omar went back to his Latino roots. "En El Olvido" is from his first album, Ivory, and is entirely in Spanish. It's a fan favorite and one that his Latino/a fans hold near and dear to their hearts. A montage of family videos and photos played on the screen in the background, with just Omar and two members of his band front and center next to him. It was a performance that, once again, displayed how far he's come vocally. In between that and the following song, he invited the audience into a grito competition. It was easily the funniest part of the night, as many people who attempted it failed miserably, one voice crack going so far as to make him say, "Please let me end this on a good note!" One brave volunteer saved the day, giving a soulful "AYE AYE AYE!" that the crowd, and Omar himself, adored.
The project that will always be held close to my heart is Apolonio. It was what truly introduced me to him as more than just a casual fan, and each song has a special meaning to me. "Want U Around" with Ruel was one of my very favorites back in 2020, and will continue to be one of my favortes to hear live. His voice makes you pinch yourself and think, "Am I really hearing this live?" Yes, indeed you are. He's just that talented.
Back in 2022, Apollo dropped "Tamagotchi," a track that was relatively different for him. He'd made songs with rap in them before, but "Tamagotchi" is what really established him as an artist that can successfully pull off that genre while still primarily working in another. I think it will always be one of the best to hear him perform live. Every time I've seen it, the crowd has gone absolutely bonkers. He raps in both Spanish and English, making it so much fun for both the gringos and native speakers.
Of course, he had to perform "Evergreen," the song that blew up on TikTok and garnered him a lot of new fans. It's always fun to sing along to this with the crowd. To come back to what I began to say earlier, "Glow" was a phenomenal was to (almost) end the show. It was the last song before the encore, and it left me with such a magical taste in my mouth. Apollo paints a picture, sets the scene, before sweeping your feet right off the ground. And lastly, he closed the show with "Go Away," another classic within his fanbase.
Omar Apollo will forever be one of the most special artists in my life, one that's been with me through the highs and lows, and one that's stood the test of time as my tastes have evolved. I'm so grateful to have gotten to attend this tour-- It was incredible for both new fans and old fans alike. I'm excited to see what comes next for Omar!
Comments