Sam Smith, the “Unholy” English singer-songwriter, ended their 20 nights of concerts at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre with a festive appearance by collaborator Kim Petras. Each night was sold-out at the famous 104-year-old movie theatre, which turned into a concert space for their performances.
Joined by an onstage band, a trio of backup vocalists, and an occasional special guest (such as Hozier, Isabel Dumaa, and Sienna Spiro), Smith wowed crowds and left an unforgettable mark on the remodeled space from February 10 to March 14.
During their time in San Francisco, Smith opened an Instagram account specifically to share and document the best eateries in the Bay Area. As a personal shoutout, Molinari Delicatessen is the place to go for sandwiches. The Grammy Award-winning singer made great use of their time traversing some of the best cuisine the Bay had to offer.
The opener for the night, Divorce, came from the not-too-distant Nottingham, England. Only two members—Tiger Cohen-Cowell and Felix Mackenzie-Barrow—out of the four were present, but they’ll be back in San Francisco performing together at Brick & Mortar on March 21.
Turning to the main setlist, which varied from soulful ballads to dance anthems, Smith never failed to entertain and enlighten their fans. Despite being an arena-selling artist, the intimate feeling of the Castro Theatre put both new and old fans an arm’s-length distance from the superstar.
Always one for theatrics, the English singer strutted onstage in dramatic lighting, tipping a cowboy hat to their 2013 hit, “Lay Me Down.” The forlorn and longing rendition transitioned into the emotional track “I’m Not the Only One.”
Between songs, they took a moment to reflect on their personal journey:
“Today I went to the LGB center, and I decided a few years ago that I wanted to make a foundation. I grew up in a house in the middle of nowhere. It was a pink house, and I was the only gay in the village.”
As the crowd nodded and listened to their words, Smith knew when to throw in a good laugh: “I came out at 10 years old and my parents were okay with it. I was a little disappointed. I wanted a little bit of drama.” They explained they wanted to create a foundation to “provide safety for people.” Since the start of their tour, their team had been raising money every day in the foyer. “Today (March 10) was my first day providing that safety,” said Smith.
Moving onto their new, longing track, “My Guy,” the English performer had a couple of words to say: “You know me for misery and tragedy. But, I’m so in love. For the first time in my life, I’m writing happy love songs.” This, followed by “Too Good at Goodbyes,” kept fans in an upbeat mood before moving into songs that paid tribute to the legacy and past residents of the Castro neighborhood. Covering Erasure’s “A Little Respect,” Smith perfectly hit Andy Bell’s falsetto with their vocal prowess as their band played up the song’s acoustic guitar notes. “I know it’s a Tuesday, but I need you to shake your titties when I tell you to,” smiled Smith.
And shake they did all the way until the very last song. With a show that went light on smoke but concentrated on stage production, Smith’s residency couldn’t have been more spot-on with the neighborhood, the venue, and their message.
