Omar Apollo brought a vibrant energy to the Ryan Center last Thursday, playing songs that ranged throughout his discography to promise a positive and welcoming experience for everyone in attendance.
Apollo began with an ominous intro, building anticipation for almost two minutes, until he started his first song, “Ice Slippin,” off his latest EP “Live For Me.”
He transitioned into an upbeat “Killing Me” off his album, “Ivory.” While leaving verses for the audience to sing, Apollo established the experience as an intimate moment. Maintaining this upbeat vibe, he played “Talk” off the same album with almost an Avril Lavigne feel. He gradually slowed the tempo to end the song with a dramatic drum exit.
The next song, “Ugotme” slowed down the show a bit, off his album “Stereo” from 2019. He then transitioned into his song “Useless” from his album “Apolonio.” Apollo used his falsetto abilities to his advantage during this set, straying from the original notes of the song and showcasing his vibrato talents as well. The funky guitar paired seamlessly with his voice to capture the essence of the song.
After a brief interaction with the audience, he switched to his 2022 song “Endlessly.” This song was more of an electric song with a high-pitched vocal track to support his own voice. He slowed down the show again with his song, “3 Boys” from this year.
After some brief technical difficulties with the drumset, he killed time while taking audience suggestions on what to sing and humoring his fans. He played “Brakelights” from an older album to pass time while the problem was resolved.
Apollo switched languages real quick with his song “Frío” from 2019. This song followed a more traditional Latin style and definitely encouraged the crowd to submit to the rhythmic sound. The song ended with intense drum and guitar solos, allowing for the band to freely express their own talents and hype the crowd up.
After leaving the crowd in the dark for about 30 seconds, he built up suspension for his next song “Petrified,” which was lit by euphoric blues and whites. He used this song to showcase his powerful vocals and absolutely killed the higher registers with a little sprinkle of falsetto. The song ended with an increase in drums, electric guitar and improvised falsetto, making for a dramatic close.
He summoned the crowd’s energy back for his next song, “Invincible,” also from his “Ivory” album. The crowd immediately began dancing the second the drums came in, making for a lively room.
Apollo played his song, “Live For Me,” off his newest album, which he said was only his third time performing this live. This song was backed by a piano track and soft harmonies leading up to the chorus. The slow vibe quickly switched to lively when he began playing “Tamagotchi,” a bilingual rap song off his album “Ivory.” He left spaces open in the performance for the crowd to scream his lyrics back to him, maintaining the sense of intimacy with his fans.
He led into a fun “Kamikaze” off his album “Apolonio,” keeping the pace upbeat and lively. The drums and electric guitar kept the audience on their toes with an exciting sound, straying from the traditional track. The song ended with a guitar solo as Apollo improvised along with it.
Apollo transitioned back to a softer feel with his next song, “Want U Around,” which the drums led largely in the beginning. The artist used this as another opportunity to show off his falsetto abilities as the drums assisted the track in the background.
This song then brought the show to the point that everybody was waiting for: “Evergreen.” This slow song, fueled with heartbreak and pain, makes for the perfect masterpiece about loss. The crowd passionately sang along with Apollo to this song, pointing toward the stage with each word. Toward the end of the song, everybody in attendance united to sing the lyrics together while Omar Apollo took a break from the mic, just to return with seamless vibrato.
Omar Apollo closed his show with his song, “Go Away,” to which the crowd bounced and danced to. With everybody in the pit bouncing in unity, this captured the essence of the show’s overall energy as one that was intimate, emotional and simultaneously extremely fun.