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By: Ezzah Rafique | Photography: Chirag Bachani
Photography: Chirag Bachani (@chiragbphoto)
The Weeknd shut down the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on Sunday, August 15th, for his sold-out show on the After Hours Til Dawn Tour. Abel Tesfaye- better known as The Weeknd- released his fourth album, After Hours, in early 2020. Fast-forward in our new post-pandemic era, he released his most recent & fifth album Dawn FM. The After Hours Til Dawn tour is the seventh concert tour in Tesfaye's career.
Walking into the arena, each attendee was given a flashy wristband that created the effect of a blinking flashlight.
As the lights in the arena dimmed and the blue fog began to cover the city skyline set, the melody of "Alone Again" filled the stadium as Tesfaye rose to the stage. After performing "Gasoline," Tesfaye unveiled himself by lifting a mask off of his face, smiling from ear to ear. His smile instantly set the mood for the entire performance. There was not one person in the stadium who didn’t feel the joy radiating from his energy on stage.
Photography: Chirag Bachani (@chiragbphoto)
One of the most jaw-dropping moments occurred when 24 of his performers came out covered head-to-toe in red fabric in the beginning of “Sacrifice.” The sheer veils covering the performers are just one aspect of the thrilling theatrics The Weeknd puts on.
From the bold colors in the set, to the fire along the stage, to the structure of the set itself, to his boisterous angel-like vocals, The Weeknd went above and beyond to exceed the expectations that fans have had waiting for this tour.
Asides from performing hits from Dawn FM, Tesfaye did not disappoint the crowd when the sounds of his other hits like "Can't Feel My Face" & "Hurricane" filled the air. Fans went from jumping up-and-down to almost moshing to "The Hills" as flames of fire spewed down the runway. While singing along to "Heartless," the Dallas crowd proved that only "[they] can pull off" singing along to the song according to The Weeknd himself. Not only did the crowd bring their full energy to the concert, but also love. Two proposals occurred during "Die For You" & "I Feel It Coming" at which fans whipped out their phones to capture the ecstatic moment.
With the energy in his show, anyone could tell Tesfaye truly enjoys the thrill of putting on a show-stopping performance. "Save Your Tears" set the tone for the grand finale of the night with "Blinding Lights" while the crowd ramped up their energy. The atmosphere of the arena proved to move Tesfaye emotionally as he paused to thank his fans and speak to the crowd. At his biggest party in Texas, he vowed to fans:
“We’re gonna do AT&T two nights in a row, I promise you.”
Following the Dallas show, the After Hours Til Dawn Tour takes on Dever, CO on August 18th. More dates include: Las Vegas, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.
Photography: Chirag Bachani (@chiragbphoto)
Set list:
1. “Alone Again” 2. “Gasoline” 3. “Sacrifice” (Remix) 4. “How Do I Make You Love Me?” 5. “Can’t Feel My Face” 6. “Take My Breath” 7. “Hurricane” 8. “The Hills” 9. “Often 10. “Crew Love” 11. “Starboy” 12. “Heartless” 13. “Low Life” 14. “Or Nah” 15. “Kiss Land” 16. “Party Monster” 17. “Faith” 18. “After Hours” 19. “Out of Time” 20. “I Feel It Coming” 21. “Die for You” 22. “Is There Someone Else?” 23. “I Was Never There” 24. “Wicked Games” 25. “Call Out My Name” 26. “The Morning” 27. “Save Your Tears” 28. “Less Than Zero” 29. “Blinding Lights”