A 100-degree day in the desert was the scene to kick off the After Hours Til Dawn Tour in Arizona on Friday night (May 9). The Weeknd and Playboi Carti matched the heat and brought the fire to the State Farm Stadium stage, setting the tone for the 43-date North American trek.
60,000 of the 00XO faithful attended the sold-out show that lasted over four hours, including synth God Mike Dean’s opening set.
The Weeknd embodies everything fans should want out of a modern-day pop star: smash hits, epic live performances, high-profile relationships, and an edgy pop culture persona that’s mysterious enough to play out in shows like The Idol or his upcoming Hurry Up Tomorrow movie.
“The first night’s always the best night,” Abel said, which sent the Glendale audience into a frenzy.
The Toronto singer spared no expense on the production and design side of the set, which included the burning buildings from his 2022 tour, the giant golden Sorayama statue, and oval rings that made Abel look like he was singing in a tunnel as the catwalk stage extended the length of the football field to give fans a good view from wherever they were standing.
Neon laser beams shot throughout the crowd, who were handed light-up bracelets, as a giant X was also radiating from the roof of State Farm Stadium.
More than 15 years into his career, The Weeknd is still finding ways to raise the bar. The trek will go on a two-week hiatus as Abel gears up for the release of his Hurry Up Tomorrow film — named after his February album — and he’ll be sitting on The Tonight Show couch for the first time next Thursday (May 15).
Billboard was on the floor for an electric opening night, and here are our eight favorite moments from the After Hours Til Dawn Tour stop in Zona.
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The Weeknd made a haunting intro just shy of 9:30 p.m. PT, surrounded by 30 dancers in red-hooded cloaks. Abel emerged in a black Christian Cordella design with a golden mask to match the glitter emblazoned on him. “The Abyss” served as fans’ first welcoming into the darkness of the XO frontman’s Hurry Up Tomorrow world.
Seeing Mike Dean on the keys is truly watching a master at work. Dean is the ultimate secret weapon for any artist and has been an innovator in music, producing an array of hits since the ’90s. Sitting to the right of the stage offered a front-row view of Dean’s greatness as he helmed the keys to guide Abel on stage while sparking up in between tracks.
The Weeknd’s catalog of hits seemingly never ends. Even with a 37-track setlist, it still felt like he could’ve gone deeper into his bag of anthems if he needed to go 50-deep — with songs like “Can’t Feel My Face” sounding as if they came out in the last album cycle yet aging like fine wine. Abel’s six other Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits (“Heartless,” “Die For You,” “The Hills,” “Blinding Lights,” “Save Your Tears” and “Starboy”) served as crowd-pleasing amplifiers throughout the set.
The Weeknd rocked a golden illuminated mask for the first six songs of his set, but the crowd absolutely erupted when he unmasked following “Heartless” and heading into “Faith,” which served as the first true moment of connection with his XO family.
The Weeknd made his way to mingle with the crowd as he dapped up a bunch of fans sitting against the rail in the front row on the floor. Abel even gave a few lucky members of the XO tribe a memory they’ll be telling their grandchildren about as he handed out the mic to different fans to help him sing the chorus of Dawn FM‘s “Out of Time.”
Playboi Carti returned to the stage to join The Weeknd for their Hot 100 top 5 hits “Timeless,” which just received a remix from Doechii, and “Rather Lie,” a standout from Music. Carti’s mic appeared to be a bit low while Abel showcased his fourth octave vocal range on the “Timeless” outro. The 00XO chemistry was apparent, and the duo embraced before Carti exited the stage.
Nobody does transitions like The Weeknd. It felt like he could’ve ended the show on about four different songs, but he kept the party going. At first, it looked like Abel was heading for a celestial finish with “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” or that he was going to close with the high-octane smash “Blinding Lights” — but instead, the Toronto superstar opted to turn the lights out with the Swedish House Mafia-produced “Moth to a Flame.”
“The great Mike Dean on the motherf—ing keys,” he said to finish his two-hour set. “And Phoenix, Arizona, I go by the name of The Weeknd and I motherf—ing love you!”
Playboi Carti was grateful to make his return to the desert as he explained it was his first time back in the area in a decade. Carti appreciated the love that he’s received from Arizona’s capital region, and it clearly stuck with him as he considers Phoenix a second home.
“I ain’t been out here since 2015,” he said. “The one thing I tell my young n—-s, I always tell them, ‘Phoenix be the most lit city and they support everything you do.’ They buy your merch and come to your show. Y’all n—-s know me, and I did a lot of Phoenix shows back in my younger career, and it feels good to be home. You know what I’m saying?”
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