Emerging from the underground world of music is Toronto based singer, Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. The Weeknd. I have been a fan of his for the past two years and have just attended the first of his two shows in New York City for his Fall Tour on October 7th, 2013.

The Weeknd released his first mixtape, House of Balloons, in early 2011 and his second mixtape, Thursday, later that same year. His third mixtape was released in 2012, and was titled, Echoes of Silence. He made his music available for free online and posted them on his Youtube account. Tesfaye’s style has been categorized as RnB, but many have claimed that he has shaken up the music industry with his voice that can sing in falsetto, his unique, dark sound, and his sex and drug referencing lyrics. On his rise to fame, he left his home one weekend with friends, and with a van, began to tour and do shows at small venues. He refers to the weekend he left as “the” weekend, and thus came his stage name. However, the “e” was dropped, as there was a band with the same name.

He mainly gained recognition from fellow Toronto artist Aubrey “Drake” Graham. The two often collaborate, creating a movement referred to as OVOXO. He soon gained recognition from artists such as Sean “Diddy” Combs, and Cassie.

Having received recognition, The Weeknd then signed a contract with Universal Republic Records and released his first official album, Kissland, on September 10, 2013. Prior to the official release date, he made the album available online for free, so fans could continue to listen to his music for free, and buy the album only if they enjoy the music.

Radio City Music Hall was completely packed last night. Despite sitting in the 1st Mezzanine, I was still able to get a clear view of the stage throughout the show. The stage was simply decorated, with multiple electronic screens. Its simple appearance reflected how new The Weeknd was to having large shows.

The two opening acts were Anna Lunoe and Banks. Anna Lunoe was a DJ, who had impressive skills and a charming English accent. She DJ’d as a sort of filler. While people were still arriving to the show, she spun beats at a moderate volume and tempo — just enough for the audience to sway or nod their heads.  She also DJ’d after Banks performed, and anytime where they were setting up the stage for the next part of the show. I thought Lunoe did a good job at entertaining the audience, but if anyone did not enjoy the music she provided,  it was still entertaining to watch her dance lively to the music.

The second act was Banks. When she performed, the stage was set simply, with her name written in a creative font on a black sign behind her. She started off speaking about herself, stating that it was her first ever tour and the experience was surreal to her. I, like many, had not heard of her before, but her humble attitude helped to make a connection with the audience.

She sang about four or five songs with her band that consisted of two men. One member, Derek, played the drums, while the other, Nate, impressively switched from piano to guitar throughout their performance, as well as sang backup. I was skeptical about Banks, but that didn’t last long, because she had such a beautiful voice. If you enjoy an artist with a soulful sound, she’s definitely an artist to listen to. Her voice ranged from low to high notes effortlessly and she seemed comfortable performing on stage, walking around and swaying to the music.  Her performance lasted about a half hour or so, but it was not time wasted, as she was absolutely enjoyable to listen to.

After her performance, a Kissland theme banner fell so the stage could be set for The Weeknd. Lunoe was not DJing but a friend of mine noticed the music playing was of another underground artist known as Lil B, who also offers his music for free. I found it interesting how such artists recognize one another.

Once The Weeknd came out, I noticed that the entire night was planned very particularly. A computerized man’s face appeared during the prelude to his opening song “Adaptation” and when the audience could see Abel Tesfaye, he was behind a sheer curtain. This might be considered a small detail, but it is actually symbolic of his initial image. When he first released his mixtapes, he remained as anonymous as possible — there were very few images of him online and he did not do any interviews, all done purposely to keep listeners intrigued and wondering who this mysterious artist was.

Effects-wise it was a job well done. Kissland had a Japanese theme to it, featuring a cartoon cat, and whenever a song from that album was played, the screens lit up as if it were set in the streets of Japan, with signs and ads. When a song from his mixtapes played, the lights dimmed or shone purple, blue, or standard to symbolize when he was still “shrouded in mystery”. Amusingly, whenever he went offstage (presumably to drink water), ads for Kissland products — ashtrays, candy, and condoms — played in Japanese. During a particular song, a sexual video featuring adult film actresses London Keys and Asa Akira appeared on the screens. I am well aware of the explicit content of his music, but for anyone who is thinking of seeing a performance of his, please leave children and your mother at home and avoid the discomfort (some people, unfortunately did not do this).

Overall, the show was fantastic. For those who don’t know him or his music, being at the concert would have easily shown his talent and humble attitude, two things even Tesfaye feared would change once he gained fame, as expressed in his song “Rolling Stone”. The concert ran smoothly and he was very interactive with the audience, directing us to sing, clap, sway, and even put our lighters up at the end of the show. He began with his newer music, but made sure to sing “the classics” from his mixtapes to please his fans. Occasionally, Tesfaye stopped to directly speak to the audience, and at one point, voiced his special appreciation for his NYC fans, saying:”there are a lot of you mother f****** out here”, and proceeded by dedicating the song “Pretty” to his NYC fans.

If you don’t enjoy music with sexual or drug reference, he may not be the artist for you, although there are a few songs which lack the two.  For an artist on his first official tour, he did an excellent job at staying on schedule and performing what the audience wanted to hear. The Fall tour is a test to see if he maintains who he was as a musician, and so far he has passed. If you want to change up the music you listen to, give him a listen — it’s free after all, and his smooth sensual voice will probably have you smitten like the rest of his fans.