Singer-songwriter sombr, a social media sensation and Generation Z paragon, made a stop in the District on Monday night, filling The Anthem with high energy, humor and heartbreak pop-rock.
Following shows in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York, New York where British singer Sam Smith joined him on stage, sombr made his 15th stop of “The Late Nights and Young Romance Tour” in the District. A sold-out crowd made their way to The Anthem for a concert that featured alternative rock and pop music and lyrics centered on heartbreak and longing, with witticisms and comedic bits peppered throughout the show.
Sombr, a stage name used by 20-year-old New York native Shane Michael Boose, began releasing music in 2021 after posting original songs on TikTok. Sombr’s newest album “I Barely Know Her” came out on August 22, topping Spotify’s Global Top Albums chart and making it in the top 15 of the Billboard 200 chart.
The concert was a teenage hotbed, which made sense given sombr’s youthful energy, lyrics and online presence on platforms like TikTok, where he’s amassed 4.2 million followers, and 2.7 million on Instagram.
After opener Devon Gabriella finished her 30-minute set composed of poppy songs about past relationships — which mirrored the whimsy and delicate vocals of singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams — it was sombr’s time to shine. Fans in the packed general admission area screamed each time sombr’s crew came on stage to set up, eagerly anticipating his arrival.
As the lights went down and a crew member walked on stage to click a black-and-white movie clapper, the show began with jazzy music introducing the band. The audience’s phones rose up, ready to record the first songs.
A smoky stage, booming drum and guitar feedback introduced the first song “i wish i knew how to quit you,” a pop-rock song with guitar riffs. At one point, sombr dramatically played the piano, towering over the keys at 6 feet and 7 inches tall.
“You were never mine, but I was always yours,” he sang as fans jumped along.
The show replicated a late-night TV show, with an unknown voice narrating in a tongue-in-cheek manner. A crew member held cue cards for the audience to laugh, as the singer jokingly replied with ultra-Gen Z, blasé humor.
“I watched a recent interview where you shared your pre-show ritual, and it was very interesting to say the least,” the voice said.
“My pre-show ritual is probably to take off my shirt, make sure my abs look chiseled,” sombr replied.
The stage itself had a desk made for a late night TV show host, a chair the guest would sit at on the left side, the band in the middle and a couch and TV camera on the right. House plants were scattered about the stage and openings in the wall revealed a skyline of New York City, sombr’s hometown.
At his towering over-6-foot height, sombr slinked, danced and bounced across the stage, taking on and off his black suit jacket to reveal a long-sleeve diamond print shirt between songs. During “Perfume,” a song about wishing to be back together with an ex, a guitarist rocked on stage during his solo, with sombr jumping on and tackling him.
The narrator asked sombr what his favorite city in the world, other than New York City, was. He said, despite loving New York, he had to “give it to Washington, D.C.” and said he’d been meaning to take a trip down to the District.
Before singing “Caroline,” the song that helped launch his fame, sombr spoke to the crowd about his career growth, starting by posting songs online and going viral with the song overnight, waking up the next morning to “every record label” in his inbox.
“I flew into LA, signed my first record deal, and I’m here now because of that,” he said.
Around halfway through his set, sombr initiated a crowd-work game where he invited fans onto the stage and asked them to call their exes, where he then asked both parties why they split. The singer then determined who was in the wrong in the breakup.
Sombr interrogated the exes over the phone, then ended each round by telling the fan he loved them, hugging them and having a security guard escort them back to the crowd.
“Look, usually the ladies are in the right, so we’ll see. But you are a sombr fan,” the singer said to a participant.
The rest of the set soared, and despite the singer admitting he was fighting a case of bronchitis, he kept up the energy throughout the show — and commented on the importance of artists refraining from backing out of performances.
“I know what it’s like to go to a show and to go to work and to make money and then spend that money on a ticket and then wait in line, to f*cking wait for the artists to come on, and be a parent, well, I haven’t been a parent,” he said.
After briefly leaving the stage, sombr walked back on as drums started playing and the crowd started cheering — a familiar song, “back to friends” started playing. Phones went up to film the song as he sang and moved around the stage. Sombr wrapped up the set with his popular hit “12 to 12” as the crowd danced along.
Once sombr and his band exited the stage, a crew member walked on to click the same movie clapper that began the show to end it, leaving the crowd energized from a vivacious pop-rock set.
