Jam packed in the San Jose Civic Center at Omar Apollos’ sold out show on November 2nd was the most euphoric feeling I have felt this year. Standing in the pit with my feet hurting waiting for the opening artist to come out always feels forever until the background music stops and the lights go out.
Rising artist Ravyn Lenae started off the show strong as she sang her dreamy melodies and swayed her hips around the stage hyping up the crowd. Her range of vocals can be described as breathtaking especially while performing her song Satellites off her most recent album Hypnos (2022). Her music is very hypnotic and feels familiar which makes it all the more fun to watch her perform on stage.
Omars rise to fame over five years in the making has been deserved as many have enjoyed watching him grow as an artist. His most recent album Ivory (2022) is what really grew his fame especially one of the tracks, Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All) which you may recognize as one of his most popular songs since it recently got attention on TikTok. The song discusses about no longer being in love and realizing that your ex partner didn’t deserve you at all (like the song lyric haha). A song like this can be relatable to many people like his fans and that being the case, it hits home hard to these people.
Seeing an artist like Omar in media who is openly singing about his queerness and fluidity like in his songs “Kamikaze” and “Bi Fren” or in other songs that he sings in Spanish is new to many people especially in the Latino community since majority of Mexican men can be very machismo.
When Omar finally came out on stage looking like a Matrix character, the crowd went crazy. He started off the show with his song “Ivory”, a short and sweet song to just hype us up.
During the show Omar stopped and asked who in the crowd was Mexican. At least half of the crowd screamed showing that they too were Mexican like Omar, including myself. Then the bright screen behind him showed the Mexican Flag as himself and many others in the crowd began to Grito (a loud shout in Mexican culture that celebrates an expression of excitement). Omar and his band sat on stage and began to sing his song “En El Olvido”. At that moment, everyone was screaming every lyric in Spanish with Omar and representation had never mattered more than ever.
I got the opportunity to talk to Omar personally after the show which just made the experience more exciting. We talked about how I won tickets by San Jose State college radio station KSJS to see his show and write a review about it in which he responded with “I hope you make me sound good” followed with a laugh and continued to ask about the station. Not only is Omar an incredible performer with his funky dance moves and Spanish songs, he also is a genuine and kind person in the way he acts with his fans.
Overall, Omar is such a fun artist to watch perform and if you ever get a chance to see him live, be ready to hear his Gritos and be overwhelmed with emotion from his music.
Written by Allyssa Demarchena
Omg I was at this show too!! Allyssa did a great job in describing the environment of this show so well. Your comment about the Spanish lyrics and how the representation never mattered more couldn’t have been saying better and I couldn’t agree more. Anytime I speak of that show I say the same thing, as well as how much our crowd singing all of the Spanish songs word for word really seemed to make Omar so happy and proud as well. The way I felt safe and represented in the building that night made Omar being the best concert I have been to this year. Great Job, Allyssa!!!!