Destined for superstardom: Rina Sawayama “holds the girl” in Oakland

In April of 2020 I stumbled upon an artist who just released their debut studio album. That same artist would soon become one of my favorite artists of all time. Her name is Rina Sawayama. There are so many words that I can use to describe her, but if I had to narrow it down to one, it would be “performer”. Sawayama knows how to put on a show, and truly reinvents the concert experience. This was the case on November 21st at the Fox Theater in Oakland.

I was fortunate enough to also see her earlier this year in April in San Francisco. That tour was in support of her album Sawayama (2020), which was originally scheduled to take place in 2020, but was postponed due to the pandemic. A month after that delayed concert she would release her single “This Hell” for her upcoming sophomore album Hold The Girl (2022). 

On November 21st, Sawayama brought this experience to Oakland. Opening for her was Adam Kraft, a DJ in the local San Francisco area. They started their set by playing “God Knows I Tried” by Lana Del Rey, but then soon transitioned into the likes of Charli XCX and BLACKPINK. Charli XCX’s discography was featured heavily in the pre-show playlist, with songs such as “Vroom Vroom” raising the energy in the room before Sawayama came on stage. The crowd felt distanced before “Vroom Vroom”, but the track united and prepared everyone for the realization that Sawayama would soon come out on stage.

The lights dimmed and instrumental snippets of Sawayama’s songs filled the room as the band made their way onto the stage. After a few minutes, Sawayama came onto the stage dressed in an all-denim outfit and a white cowboy hat. This outfit, and the numerous costume changes throughout the concert, reflected the 2000s influence that inspired the album. She stood in the light and soaked in the applause before starting the show off with “Minor Feelings” and the title track of the album.

Shortly after, she described the writing process of Hold the Girl and how it served as “therapy” for her. Sawayama also dedicated the concert to the 5 victims that were tragically killed in a shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs this past weekend. She then said that she hopes everyone in the audience “leaves a little bit more healed” after the concert in this “hateful world”. 

Sawayama then went on to perform “Catch Me in the Air” and “Hurricanes”, which are both songs reflective of the 2000s pop-rock that inspired the record. Green lights illuminated the room, which served as a transition into the angry tone of the tour. She came out in a dark red dress and then performed my favorite song off the album, “Your Age”. This was easily my favorite performance of the night because of the raw emotion that was felt in those 3 minutes alone.

Fan favorites—“Imagining”, “STFU!”, and “Frankenstein”—carried on the anger that Sawayama welcomed the crowd to express with her. With another costume change, that she described as looking like a “jellyfish blob”, the tone of the show then shifted to a more somber one to accompany her songs like “Bad Friend” and “Send My Love to John”. She went on to perform a cover of “I’m With You” by Avril Lavigne, which she stated was “all she listened to when she was 14 years old.” “I’m With You” is one of my favorite Avril Lavigne songs of all time, so when she announced it I screamed out of shock. It was definitely in my top 3 moments of the night.

“Phantom” tackles the subject of embracing one’s inner child, which Sawayama talked about leading up to her performance of the song. The subdued nature of the show would end with her track “To Be Alive”. She then disappeared into the light and returned a few minutes later in a shiny silver leotard. She performed “Beg For You”, her collaboration with Charli XCX, and “LUCID”. It was during this mashup that she stated, “alright we’re going to slay a little bit harder!”

The show came to a close with dance-pop and nu-metal classics: “Comme des Garçons (Like the Boys)” and “XS”. Sawayama left the stage and the theater faded into darkness. The persistent crowd  chanted “Rina, Rina, Rina” until she came out to perform “This Hell”, the encore. While introducing the song she said, “only we know who’s going to hell, so let’s fucking do this,” which prompted loud cheers from the crowd. Throughout the song the audience screamed lyrics such as “fuck what they did to Britney, to Lady Di’, and Whitney” and “wow, that’s hot!” Sawayama then split the audience into two sides during the bridge, and said we were going to have a “competition”. Each side of the theater screamed one half of the bridge, and did so multiple times. This culminated into the chorus with the two sides joining, and the theater being the loudest it had been all night.

If November 21st at the Fox Theater reaffirmed anything, it is that Rina Sawayama is a performer and pop star at heart. You forget where you are and feel connected with the stories she tells in her songs. She is destined to play in stadiums, and that is a sentiment I will hold close until it becomes true.

Article by Adrian Ceja

Photos by Div Buccieri