Dateline – CHICAGO
Soldier Field
24 July 2022
The Weeknd’s current After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour marks the culmination of an absolutely insane journey the Canadian singer-songwriter has been on since the 2020 release of his album After Hours and the pandemic-doomed tour that was to support it. Notably, After Hours became one of the most streamed albums ever. “Blinding Lights,” the album’s second single, went on to become the #1 chart hit in the 63-year history of Billboard’s Hot 100.
The Weeknd’s Super Bowl halftime show appearance in 2021 and a new album, Dawn FM, set the stage for this ambitious stadium tour. He’s been upgraded from cramped basketball arenas to sold-out stadiums this summer, and he returns to the stage with his popularity riding a rising high.
My experience at Chicago’s Soldier Field was exactly what I was expecting. Just like the “Starboy: Legend of the Fall” tour in 2017, this show delivers dazzling visuals and a bumping setlist – a dynamic performance in every aspect. Not even a cavernous football field could swallow up The Weeknd – he brought intense energy in voice and movement to every song.
His setlist spanned 30 songs across his entire catalog. While early hits like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills” made appearances, they came up early. The bulk of the show consisted of The Weeknd’s two most recent releases. Frankly, the astonishing visuals were at times more awe-inspiring to watch than the artist himself.
And yet, for all the spectacle this show brings, I couldn’t help but walk away feeling a tad nostalgic for his arena shows of old. Clearly, in the last two years, The Weeknd has brought in many new fans, which inevitably leads to bigger crowds in bigger venues. And this extravaganza does at times veer off into theme-park attraction territory. Still, I very much enjoyed the After Hours Til Dawn show. On this night, The Weeknd was certainly equal to the spectacle, and matched the enthusiasm of the sold-out stadium crowd.
The Weeknd is currently on tour in the United States and Canada. His tour will conclude Sept. 22 in Toronto. Find more tour information on theweeknd.com.
Check out The Weeknd’s full Coachella 2022 set:
