Omar Apollo's soulful rhythms, passionate Spanish lyrics and R&B hits echoed through Mesa Amphitheatre on Thursday.
Apollo, an American R&B singer best known for his hit track "Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All)" performed the God Said No World Tour to the excitement of thousands of Arizona fans.
Originally from Indiana with strong Mexican roots, Apollo always gets a warm welcome in Arizona. His performance in Tucson in October 2022 was moved outside last-minute because of the high turnout.
This time, Apollo's concert was opened by Kevin Abstract, a founding member of the popular boy band BROCKHAMPTON. Fans were hooked early after he walked out to a booming, ethereal remix of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston.
Abstract ran through a few of his hits like "Peach," "GUMMY" and "Empty," but spent most of his time interacting with the audience. At the end of his set, he snaked through the crowd, pit to lawn seating, to greet fans from all around.
As much fun as they had with Abstract, the fans were there for Apollo. From the second he strutted on stage, adorned in his now-trademark fur coat, fans hung onto every word.
Simply put, his set was heartfelt — sometimes angelic vocals and intimate backing tracks, sometimes lively, silly interactions with the crowd, sometimes focused effort on his choreography — but no matter the method, the priority always seemed to be on making the best show possible.
"I think he relates to everybody's heartbreak and emotions," concert attendee Landis Reed said. "He's a real guy, a real guy who spreads his emotions with his music."
At its best, the setlist delivered bright, jazzy interpretations of his already soulful songs "3 Boys," "Endlessly" and "Killing Me."
During these tracks, Apollo was truly lost in the blues, finding momentary musical transcendence.
As he burst in and out of sparking vibrato vocals, his band complimented every choice perfectly. The R&B cuts became more than their normal genre, they became true soul, true funk.
Something new on this tour was Apollo's embrace of performance. His performance style mirrors the likes of Prince and Michael Jackson as he's adopted rockstar-like tendencies on stage.
Accompanied by a handful of background dancers, who frolicked on and off song to song, the concert showed off theatrical, interpretive choreography that matched the often monochromatic aesthetic of the visuals.
"I loved the interpretive dances and everything like that," said Gisell Rivera, who attended the concert and is a fan of Apollo. "It just looked so good. I loved it so much. It was so much fun."
But despite the theatrics, the performance always felt grounded and vulnerable. After playing "En El Olvido," a song solely in Spanish, Apollo gave a strong grito — a shout that exudes emotion.
He challenged fans from around the venue to do their best grito as well and spent nearly 10 minutes chasing the perfect cry from eager fans.
"He sings Spanish songs and there's so many people here that speak Spanish and only speak Spanish," Rivera said. "So that way when people come to a concert and are able to experience that, you know feel welcome."
The show went on with performances of hit tracks like "Want U Around" and more exciting physical and visual effects. Fans screamed every word to the hits and laughed every time he asked for more tequila.
"We gon' keep this b---- going," Apollo said.
However, Apollo said the venue was going to fine him if he continued past the listed Mesa Amphitheatre curfew of 10 p.m., and finished the show off with a couple last songs, including "Evergreen (You Didn't Deserve Me At All)."
Ultimately, the show ended with "Glow" — also the closing track of "God Said No" — and a loving but reluctant goodbye from the audience.
Apollo may be nearly done touring in 2024, as Mesa was his second-to-last show, but he won't be out of the spotlight anytime soon.
He's set to appear in Luca Guadagnino's upcoming film, "Queer," in late 2024, but for now, it looks like he just wants to go home.
"I've been on the road a long time," Apollo said. "My hips hurt, my knees hurt. But I'm still singing."
Edited by Sophia Braccio, Abigail Beck and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporters at adirst@asu.edu and sjames51@asu.edu and follow @andrewdirst and @sennajames_ on X.
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Senna is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communication with a minor in Spanish. This is her third semester with The State Press.
Andrew is a junior studying journalism and mass communication. This is his third semester with The State Press. He has also worked at The Arizona Republic.
