Daniel Caesar performs with passion in Madrid
By: Elena Mateus
Fans wrapped around the La Rivieria venue on a chilly Tuesday night, waiting in anticipation to watch a sold-out show from Canadian singer Daniel Caesar. Some fans had waited in line outside for hours in order to get a spot up-close.
“I would wait all night to see him. I have already been waiting for three months,” said Robine Wille, an 18-year-old from Belgium. Wille said as soon as tickets went on sale, she was online and ready to buy.
As Wille scuffled inside, green neon lights lit up the hallway inside. And inside, the round venue was dotted with faux palm trees and string lights along the perimeter. Eight deep blue lights shined down on the stage. Smoke machines created clouds that acted as a perfect canvas for the tonal lights to fall upon. The mood was set. The crowd was ready for Caesar to come out and do his thing.
Wille was one of 2,500 ticket holders who cozied up to the stage to listen to Caesar’s smooth voice and effortless tracks on Nov. 5. Caesar gained popularity in 2017 after he released his song “Best Part.” That song, with lyrics like, “You’re my coffee that I need in the morning / You’re my sunshine in the rain when it’s pourin,’” is often regarded as a wedding playlist must-have. Caesar brought that same intimacy and passion to the heart of Madrid in his gracious performance that left concert-goers mesmerized.
“The mood in the room was tangible. I had chills countless times and it felt like I was in a trance the entire time,” said Wille.
As the lights went down, the tightly-knit crowd began to cheer and whistle. One single red light illuminated a stand-alone microphone from behind. Suddenly, Caesar’s five-person live band began drumming away, and a dozen red lights began flashing from at all angles. And all at once, the lights froze, and out came Caesar.
He opened with “Cyanide,” a song off of his new album, CASE STUDY 01. His vocals were smooth and effortless. He strode slowly across the stage slowly, matching the pace of the song’s sultry cadence.
“He legitimately sounded better during the concert than he does on the album,” said 21-year-old Karyna Cabral of Calif. Cabral attended the concert with her boyfriend, both of whom are currently studying abroad in Madrid. “I have never been to a concert that felt so personal and affectionate,” she said.
Caesar performed with the help of a bass player, guitar player, and drummer, as well as four backup singers. All of which were visible on stage, just slightly behind Caesar — a nod to his obvious respect for them.
The crowd moved back and forth, swaying in synchronization while Caesar slipped from one song into the next.
“Even though there were a lot of people all trying to be up close, everyone was so kind. The energy in the room was so warm,” Wille said, “Nobody was pushing to get to the front like they would at other concerts.”
The focus of the performance was the vocals. The visuals were anchored by simple lights and fog. The simplicity of the set design created a unique atmosphere. “I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. He did not need to have fancy strobe lights or backdrops with visuals. It was simple and clean and that made it feel more genuine,” said Ehmaire Okoyomon, a 22-year-old who works in Munich.
Later, for his hit song “ENTROPY,” he had his four background dancers come up right behind him as he sat in the center of the stage. They were dressed in all black, adding to the simple, no-nonsense vibe of the show.
Caesar treated the emotionally engaged crowd to classics from his other, older albums like, “Japanese Denim.” During this performance, the lights shifted to red, and nearly everybody in the crowd was belting the lyrics of the romantic song.
“Intimacy was at the forefront of his entire concert,” said Okoyomon.
It’s no surprise then that Caesar’s concerts often warrant mid-concert proposals.
Whether it was changing lyrics from “Rolling up in Cali,” to “Rolling up in Madrid,” he made it clear that he cared deeply about the experience for the attendees. During his song “Get You” he pointed the microphone to the crowd for the chorus.
He even draped a Portuguese flag on the microphone later in his set. He said, “I know it’s not a Spanish flag, but it’s the best I got.”
As most performers do, he said he had one last song. He performed one of his classic songs, “We Find Love.” After, like clockwork, the crowd began chanting “Otra.” What made Caesar’s encore so special was the duration. Caesar treated the audience to an additional four songs. And each time, the crowd grew louder and buzzed with more and more excitement.
Perhaps the factor that permeated the concert most in addition to his pure talent and intimacy was his grace. Caesar thanked everybody. He thanked the people who set up the concert twice. He introduced and thanked his entire band and singers, referring to them by first and last name. And of course, he thanked the people of Madrid.
“This is my first time here, and you guys are unforgettable,” he said.