Just over a year ago, September, 2017, Oliver Francis was gearing up to perform his first live show ever. Since then he’s opened shows, headlined his own, and toured across the Atlantic. Now, just a year removed from his first performance, Oliver took the stage in Brooklyn on his OVERDRIVE tour to demonstrate his continued growth as a performer.
The concert began with the supporting acts taking the stage. Guardin opened first bringing his ukulele out for a rendition of his newest track, “Okay,” featuring some audience participation. Shortly after, Florida up-and-comers Sunny Fritz and Otown Marco each took the stage with a clear mission to up the energy in the venue. Their performances were intense and raucous with mosh pits emerging from the crowd during Sunny’s performance of “Dangerous” and Marco’s performance of “Today” respectively. Big Baby Scumbag rounded off the opening sets with several of his infectious singles like “Jameis Winston” and “Metal Gear Solid” making quite a splash with the audience in the process. Seriously though, Big Baby has a penchant for splashing the crowd with water to keep them hyped. (Bring your swim trunks). At this point the audience was primed and ready to witness the main event as chants of “O-li-ver” rang through the room.
Oliver stormed onto the stage with his entourage as the opening to “Chernobyl” began to play. His set featured a mix of old favorites like “Polo Socks” and “Yeenreally” sitting alongside newer cuts like “Ozzy” and “Gemini.” It was a setlist tailor made for any and every fan of Oliver Francis to thoroughly enjoy.
The production quality was impeccable with the live auto-tune perfectly accompanying Oliver’s melodic vocals and the lights accenting the mood in each song (cutting the lights just before the drop in “Yeenreally” was a definite standout to me). There was an apparent attention to detail in everything that was done on stage. Oliver’s performance from a technical standpoint was masterful. Every single lyric that passed through his lips felt perfectly rehearsed and professional without ever coming off as tired or forced. It’s one thing to have solid breath control in the studio, but Oliver flows live without a hitch and annunciates his lyrics so well that the inclusion of a backing track is only used in certain moments for emphasis. Even during his more lyrically packed songs, Oliver is able to maintain his focus on his delivery while still interacting with the audience. There was never a moment that felt phoned-in or lazy. It always felt as though Oliver was rapping for his fans, not to his fans.
At one point in-between songs, Oliver took the time to extend a thanks to the audience saying, “This is your show. Remember that. None of this exists without you.” That’s a sentiment that is true in more ways than one.
Clearly, Oliver said this in a position of gratefulness. His diehard fans changed his life. But, it’s also true for the live show itself. The live experience is one that is dependent on more than just the music that’s playing. The success of a show largely hinges on the symbiotic relationship formed between the audience and the performer. They feed off of each others energy and one without the other cannot exist on it’s own. On this night in Brooklyn, that relationship was thriving. Fans were rapping every word back to Oliver in unison. Phone lights illuminated the stage on command. Mosh pits erupted. Stage divers and crowd surfers carried the energy of a hardcore show each time they floated over the sea of bodies. On this night, the push and pull of energy between performer and audience was in total equilibrium with each party giving it their all. As a show-goer, you couldn’t ask for much more than that.
Oliver Francis just recently wrapped up his OVERDRIVE tour. Look for his project of the same name to drop soon. You can check out his newest single, “Hanz Freestyle,” below.