This past Saturday, I saw Xavier Omär at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland on a night I should have been holed up in Lau in, yet recklessly decided to go to anyway. We have time if we don’t think about our responsibilities, right?
Omär was joined by two openers, PinkCaravan! and Iris Temple. I was extremely impressed by PinkCaravan!, a St. Louis rapper, but I was enamored with Iris Temple’s smooth mix of guitar and runs.
Two casually dressed men stepped on stage with just an electric guitar, yet had so much soul to offer. Before I had come to the concert, I had only heard the song “Lemonade,” yet I walked out with four more of their songs saved and added to my Spotify library. With only around 500 followers on Twitter, Iris Temple is completely underrated.
With a quick transition, Omär stormed the stage with a mix of upbeat, slow, and crowd-pleasing songs. It was both a humbling and monumental moment for Omär, playing a sold out Fillmore in a town he had spent some time living in. Originally supposed to play the 200 person Songbyrd Cafe, Omär upgraded to a 1300 seating venue – the biggest show of his career.
With a bright smile on his face, Omär sang crowd favorites like “If This Is Love” and “Grown Woman.” I knew Omär was a smaller artist, and I was surprised by how die-hard his fans were, the entire crowd screaming every lyric to his songs. I must say, I only knew a couple songs going in, and I felt so happy and proud to see his music accepted and loved at that level.
Keeping to his humble roots, Omär brought out two special guests in the concert, showcasing smaller artists that were once in his shoes. It was nice to see such a pure sense of gratitude and passion for performing, especially when Omär took a moment to reflect on the surreal feeling of being able to experience original lyrics and moments with fans.
Throughout the show, Omär transitioned the moods of the concert flawlessly. Shifting from upbeat to slower, he kept the crowd hungry and waiting for more. During some points, he would play popular rap and dance music, literally uniting the whole crowd to turn into one huge dancing group. I have never seen literally everyone join together and suddenly dance in unison before.
One of my favorite songs was “Special Eyes,” and apparently also one of his mother’s favorites. According to Omär, she needed a song “you could do the two step to…” and that is exactly what the crowd did.
Finally, Omär’s encore performance of “Blind Man” was one not to be forgotten. For the first time, I really felt connected with the others around me, and simply just happy to be in the moment – singing and dancing.
I must say, Omär’s control and effect on the crowd was so unexpected, and I cannot wait to see what he can do in the future when more discover him.
Leave a Reply