The Weeknd Brings The Madness Fall Tour To NYC’s Madison Square Garden: Live Review
2015 became the year that The Weeknd proved himself as someone who has earned his spot in the pop industry — and with last night’s (November 16) Madness Fall Tour stop in NYC’s Madison Square Garden, the Canadian crooner proved that he is finally a bonafide star.
But before he dominated the stage, concert openers Travi$ Scott and Banks completely rocked the venue. The Houston rapper tried his best to bring the Rodeo to the big stage, but unfortunately it didn’t have as big of an impact as it could — blame all the chairs crowding the floor. Nonetheless, Travi$ was incredibly enthusiastic as he riled the crowd with almost comical quips that would fit right in a Tarantinto film and ended his fiery set by jumping in the audience for “Antidote.”
As for Banks? The seductive songstress is no stranger to opening for The Weeknd (she rode with him for 2013’s Kiss Land Tour), so she owned the stage with confidence. The artist captivated the audience with her moody vocals on tunes like “Brain,” “Goddess” and “Begging For Thread” that floated over the theatrical production.
Almost two hours later, and it was time for The Weeknd to tear the Garden down! The visuals alone were magnetic, with the singer levitating from a cage that flashed colorfully graphic lights and images. The vocals were on point for the concert’s entirety even with all the intense Michael Jackson-inspired dance moves (he also sang live, which was commendable), but it did not make too much of a difference as the teenage girl-filled audience screamed every single word with a a passion that could only come from an XO fan.
His lengthy set included highlights like the booming “The Crew” collaboration with Drake, the hard rock twist of Kiss Land‘s “Professional,” the earth-shattering energy of “House Of Balloons/Glass Table Girls,” “Earned It” (“This is not just a concert, but a celebration of XO,” he exclaimed during the breakdown) and the explicit singalong of “The Hills” that was escalated with blasting flames. In the midst of all the madness, one thing was clear — this once unknown & faceless artist is now a bonafide pop star.
The Weeknd noted on stage that he keeps booking bigger and bigger venues in NYC — from the Bowery Ballroom to Madison Square Garden. He joked about selling out Yankee Stadium next, but the way his career is escalating that definitely isn’t a far stretch from reality.
The Madness Fall Tour Setlist:
Travi$ Scott
“Pornography”
“Pray 4 Love”
“Mamacita”
“All Your Fault”
“Don’t Play”
“90210”
“Upper Echelon”
“Oh My Dis Side”
“3500”
“Antidote”
BANKS
“This Is What It Feels Like”
“Brain”
“Goddess”
“Fuck ‘Em Only We Know”
“Drowning”
“Waiting Game”
“Begging For Thread”
The Weeknd
“Real Life”
“Losers”
“Acquainted”
“Often”
“High For This”
“The Party”
“King Of The Fall”
“The Crew”
“Or Nah (remix)”
“Professional”
“The Morning”
“House Of Balloons/Glass Table Girls”
“Tell Your Friends”
“The Birds Pt. 1”
“Shameless”
“Earned It”
“Dark Times”
“As You Are”
“Angel”
“Dirty Diana”/”In The Night”
“Can’t Feel My Face”
“Prisoner”
“The Hills”
Encore: “Wicked Games”
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