By Staff Writer Shray Vaidya
Pop singer Bebe Rexha traveled to San Francisco’s Regency Ballroom on October 18 to continue her trip around the US for Bebe & Bassy Tour 2017. Before the event, the lines wrapped around the building, with palpable excitement in the air as fans waited anxiously to hear their favorite singer perform. The relatively small venue was packed with hundreds of eager concert-goers, with both the ground and balcony levels filled.
Once fans made their way inside and settled down, they were treated to a variety of popular songs by the DJ who had the crowd roaring. After a short delay, opening act Marc E. Bassy came out, welcomed by loud cheers. He performed multiple songs from his new album, Gossip Columns, which had been released just days before on October 13. Bassy also talked about how this performance in particular was special to him, as he grew up in the Bay Area and it had always been his dream to perform at home. At one point, he even brought Golden State Warriors Center JaVale McGee on stage for a few minutes to play a couple of chords on the piano and sing the chorus of “We Are the Champions” before McGee left. Fans were also given a special treat when Bassy brought out rapper Bobby Brackins to perform their collaboration “OB.”
Rexha herself came on stage around thirty minutes after Bassy finished, with a countdown playing on the backdrop that had the audience caught up in frenzied anticipation. Dressed in a sparkly sequined black jumpsuit, Rexha started her show in a cloud of mist, singing one of her more popular songs, “I Got Time.” Next, she transitioned directly into her hit single “Me, Myself & I,” much to the crowd’s delight. The audience was clearly having a good time, jumping up and down and singing along. She switched into an acoustic set about halfway through her show, perched on a stool centered in the middle of the stage with her keyboard in front of her.
Throughout the show, Rexha danced to her own beat and added a personal twist to the music. She also frequently interacted with the crowd, giving them a choice between a performance of “Comfortable” and “Off The Wall” at the beginning of her acoustic set. At one point during “No Broken Hearts,” Rexha stopped the song to apologize to a fan who had been tackled by security for attempting to go on stage. She invited him up to dance, and both she and the audience had great fun watching him try his hand at twerking and booty bumps.
The relatively small venue worked to her advantage, allowing Rexha to connect with the audience on a more intimate level. Before performing “I’m Gonna Show You Crazy,” which she described as extremely personal to her, she told the crowd how she had written the song during an incredibly dark and difficult time of her life, and that she hoped it would help even one person in the audience that night. At the end of the night, experiences like this helped fans see Rexha less as just an artist and more like a regular person.
Rexha ended her set with “Meant to Be” and “I Got You,” with the audience enthusiastically singing along. Rexha’s synergy with the crowd and anecdotes ultimately made the concert a night for fans to remember.
Graphic by Graphics Editor Evangeline Chang
