Troye Sivan @ Open Air Theatre
by Allyson Ta | October 25
On Thursday, Troye Sivan bloomed at the Open Air Theatre in support of his sophomore album release. With this San Diego stop being his first show back in California, Sivan—who resides in Los Angeles—deemed it a homecoming show.
The arena was filled with thousands of young, excited fans. Up first was Carlie Hanson, an up-and-coming pop star who has been making a name for herself. Despite being discovered online via YouTube, Hanson wowed the audience with her powerful stage presence. Next, Kim Petras, welcomed “San Diego gays” to her set. Petras, one of the youngest people to undergo gender transition, is a trans pop star that is captivating crowds with her music. Petras’ punchy, sugary vocals are reminiscent of collaborator Charli XCX. She had the audience up on their feet, singing and dancing along to her top hits, such as “I Don’t Want It All.”
After Hanson and Petras warmed up the arena, Sivan’s fans awaited his set. Finally, he took the stage, stepping out from behind an elegant red curtain as the masses went wild. Sivan’s buttery smooth vocals were magnetic and seem to always have a hint of beautiful melancholy lurking.
What is perhaps most entertaining is Sivan’s rapport with the audience. Growing up on YouTube himself, he is no stranger to interacting with his fans directly. Sivan’s charm was enticing. Every time he disappeared from stage to quick-change, the crowd screamed louder with each return. Sivan knows how to own the stage, dancing across his entire platform. His ability to transition from mellow tracks to more dance-like tracks is the beauty of Sivan’s performance. He invites you to cry with him on songs such as “The Good Side,” and is able to switch gears just as easily to “go fucking crazy” with “Bite.” With a handful of tour dates remaining, make sure to check out Troye Sivan, Kim Petras, and Carlie Hanson as they wrap up The Bloom Tour. Dates and additional information can be found here.
