Begging for more Daniel Caesar at the Greek Theatre

Just 100 feet away from the building where I had my chemistry lectures, I lined up in a very long line for Daniel Caesar on a Tuesday night at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. At this sold out show, there was no lack of PDA couples as well as singles with tissues and digital cameras ready in their pockets. This was probably one of the most fashionable crowds I’ve seen, with many dressed fittingly in denim. After a chill sunset set with Orion Sun, whom I could only describe as effortlessly cool, the crowd grew in anticipation. The lights tinted our faces the exact shade of blue as the cover of 2023’s NEVER ENOUGH, turning everyone into smurfs.

Answering to the chants of the crowd, Daniel Caesar opened the show with “Ocho Rios.” Everyone was waiting to see him in person, just for him to be veiled, his silhouette standing mysteriously behind a curtain. The crowd was challenged to put down their phone and focus solely on his smooth vocals. Caesar also sang nostalgic classics like “Japanese Denim”, which transported us back to 2017. During “Best Part”, the stage camera was pointed at the crowd of about 8,500 people passionately singing every lyric and swaying. My personal favorite part of the show was “Shot my Baby”; the guitar solo, the flashing lights, the DRAMA.

During the acoustic set, Caesar covered “Sparks” by Coldplay and the crowd magically lit up with phone flashlights. The crowd, unfazed by the cover choice due to it being revealed through TikTok, was pleasantly surprised when Caesar announced he was going to play “Fix You”, another song from Coldplay he hadn’t played on tour yet.

The crowd begged for an encore. It was so loud I had to stick my earplugs back in. On the screen, Caesar teased us backstage, showing the camera the time on his phone, insisting there’s not enough left. However, he couldn’t say no to Berkeley and played an acoustic version of “Streetcar” via video in true Frank Ocean Coachella fashion.

As Caesar strummed the final chord of “Streetcar,” the screen instantly went blank, and the post concert depression immediately hit. On the screen, credits began to roll like the end of a movie – if life was a movie, this concert would be the soundtrack.