Nightlife in Los Angeles can have you juggling multiple events that are nowhere in proximity to each other. On Wednesday (Oct. 2), we were triple-booked but felt called to attend the L.A. stop of André 3000’s New Blue Sun Tour at The Greek Theater in Hollywood. The intimate, outdoor venue was the ideal backdrop for the show as it embodied the serenity and calmness —amid the chaos of Hollywood— that André’s new era harkens. He is not the same man we once knew and that seems to be for the better.
Set under the stars, the show —which we’ve divided into two parts— started promptly at 8 p.m. with Sudan Archives as the opener. She was the curated portion of the show. Armed with her violin and two supporting instrumentalists, the self-taught musician graced the stage — commanding the attention of new and old fans as the crowd quietly trickled in from varying entry points.
As a newcomer to her music, we assumed her partially instrumental set would be completely devoid of lyrics. However, we were quickly proved wrong as the Cleveland native sang, “I want you to f**k me/ I want you to love me/ I want you to touch me/ Your finger up my p***y like a honey stick” from her 2022 single, “Milk Me.”
She cascaded through her catalog with live renditions of her hits including 2018’s “Nont for Sale” and 2019’s “Confessions” before previewing some new, vibrant singles. Her set wrapped exactly 45 minutes later and following a set change, it was time for the fluid nature of Three Stacks and his band.
As the arena grew dark, a booming voice came through the loudspeakers. “We are excited to share tonight with you as part of the New Blue Sun live tour,” the narrator declared as the crowd erupted with excitement and applause. “This collection of shows is without unsecured phones, so the musicians, audience and performance remain the focus and allow everyone to stay in the zone without cellphone distraction. Let’s have this unique time together in this moment. Please enjoy the show.”
The official start was far more subtle. It was soft like an evening breeze yet chilling. Regardless of whether you were among the millions of listeners who’ve streamed André’s solo debut since its November 2023 release or grew up with his music as an acclaimed emcee, no one could’ve predicted the route the show took. Time wasn’t of the essence. As clichéd as it may sound, the show was a vibe. There wasn’t a setlist. It was an array of sounds, moods (thanks to whoever was in charge of lighting), and elements. The music could take you anywhere— like a high without the additives, like one of those relaxing sound baths. One person napped. A couple snuggled up together. I wrote this.
Despite the denunciation of cellphone usage, the magic of this show had to be captured on video—in snippets of course — because it was easy to be enthralled by the beauty of it all.
The Atlanta native didn’t even address the crowd verbally until about 30 minutes into his 90-minute set.
“We appreciate y’all coming to spend time with us today,” the 49-year-old said with gratitude dripping from his lips. “Me and the crew looked up the other day and was like, ‘Man, we done did damn near 120 shows.’ We appreciate y’all tuning in.” He then offered insight into how the show would proceed.
Ariel Goldberg
Ariel Goldberg
Ariel Goldberg
Ariel Goldberg
“In the same way that ‘New Blue Sun’ was made, we got in a place [where] the only intention was to fly free and we recorded that. That’s what became ‘New Blue Sun’ the album and so, our shows are the exact same way,” André continued. “We don’t know what we gon’ play. I don’t know what I’m gon’ pick up on. I don’t even know notes like that. So, we composin’ on the spot. Thank y’all for whatever you brought to the building today. It helps.”
He reflected on his move to California roughly six or seven years ago and shared anecdotes on how he met each of his bandmates. “I do know for a fact now that if I didn’t move to Cali, I wouldn’t be here. Actually, I thought I was done to be completely honest […] and then I ended up being here, playing. We enjoyed playing so much; the actual act of playing. It’s the action of what we’re doing. To feel each other out, to feel what’s happening in the air and play it back to y’all.”
André did acknowledge his OutKast past by way of mentioning his Atlanta roots after formally (albeit comically) introducing himself. He then introduced his bandmates— “they discovered me in a way; I didn’t discover them.” He followed that by recounting the true story of how he met percussionist Carlos Niño in Erewhon, and even revealed that they all have new music “coming very soon.”
There were barely any words spoken beyond his initial sentiment. We assume it was so that the audience would free themselves from the confines of a traditional concert and get lost in the jam session.
Admittedly, though, it’s hard to put this experience into words. What I will note is that it felt wrong to leave the show without gathering my thoughts at that moment. We witnessed André create his own language based on the sonic rhythms of languages he’s overheard throughout the years.
“It comes from a love of languages,” he explained. “I always was kinda envious of people who spoke other languages. Like I’d be looking at them like, ‘Y’all cool as hell.’ So, I mimicked what I think they sound like and squashed all of them together. You got a little Swahili, a little Thai, a little Japanese, some Atlanta s**t in there and if you move your hands around, people believe you. It’s convincing, ain’t it? It’s the intent that matters.”
Everything felt right. It was like encountering art in motion, moving through a fantasy world, or trying to live inside a painter’s mind while they scatter colors around a canvas in the creation of a masterpiece. It was clear that no show of his was like any other and truthfully, there was no way to recreate the one we’d seen tonight. It was designed for that moment—making it even more special.
The ending was just as abstract as the show itself albeit abrupt. It was unclear what direction André was about to go in when he spoke again. Was another story about to be told? Was he about to freestyle? The answer was made clear once he declared with a smile: “Y’all got to go home.” And after 90 minutes, that was that.
If you remember the rambunctious and eccentric member of OutKast, André is still just as audacious, but in a more gentle way. His evolution should serve as a reminder to fans that even legends have the chance to reinvent themselves—and they don’t need our permission to do so.
