Childish Gambino began the show Wednesday night at Capital One Arena ominously, appearing at the end of a narrow stage platform to the tune of an instrumental no one in the crowd seemed to recognize. It was an unreleased song, unofficially labeled “Algorythm,” and one of two never-before-heard songs Gambino performed that night.
Perhaps the new material was why the Atlanta native instructed fans to not have their phones out during the show, a point he drove home throughout the performance.
“You paid for this, those people out there didn’t,” Gambino told the thousands that assembled to see him. He told the crowd to be present and just have the experience with him.
The no-phones-allowed rule created a beautiful concert environment. Without any distracting iPhone camera flashes, audience members could focus on the dazzling music and crisp light show.
Unlike Rae Sremmurd, who opened for him, Gambino sang his songs without a backing track as the live band created his soothing melodies from scratch. His soulful voice hit every note, reaching its peak on the high-octave song “Redbone.”
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His light show and choreography was not over-the-top, but rather carefully tailored to each song. Slower songs like “Stand Tall” got a single spotlight while the fast-paced “Boogieman” delivered a dance crew and intricate visuals.
“I knew this show would be special,” Gambino said. “Every time I come here, my shows sell out like that. I’ve never not had a sold out show in D.C. Something about the people here … y’all get me!”
Childish Gambino, who got his name from a Wu Tang name generator, also gave the audience some insight into how the DMV influenced him. He revealed “This is America,” which addresses being black in the U.S., was written following the 2015 Baltimore riots, meaning Gambino could have had it in the vault for up to three years.
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Despite the large venue, the performance still felt intimate. Maybe it was the fact that he was shirtless for the entire show or maybe it was his style of wacky yet talented dancing, but he made the audience feel as if he trusted them enough to let them see a new side of a normally reserved man.
The show was bittersweet for his longtime fans — happy to be there, but sad that the artist is on his final tour. Regardless, concertgoers left with a feeling of satisfaction having just seen an unbelievably passionate performance. If he had to leave, at least he’s leaving on top.
4/4 Shells.
