On Monday, November 8, Finneas stopped in Denver on his first headlining tour – The Optimist Tour. His new album “The Optimist”, which was released on October 15, has reached #11 on the top charts and solidified Finneas’s career as both a producer and performer.
Finneas, better known for his work behind the scenes with artists such Kid Kudi, Justin Bieber, and Demi Lovato, performed like a seasoned professional. His ability to connect with the crowd and entertain with ease is no doubt due, in part, to his performances with his sister, Billie Eilish. The pair have been touring together since 2017 and have made fans out of virtually every concert attendee. Finneas has excelled in the pop industry and is the top name in music production, but this tour marks his first steps towards being an artist of his own design.
Finneas opened the show with the first song on his album, “A Concert Six Months From Now”, a song that I feel is emblematic of the many themes his songs encompass. It talks about a couple purchasing concert tickets for a show in the future as they’re optimistic about their relationship. Finneas perfectly mixed the apprehensive and giddy feelings that are trademark of the beginning of a relationship, while adding the many textured elements of music he is so well known for. As the song switched from acoustic to electric and digitized, a light show showered the audience, and it was impossible not to feel fully immersed in the emotion of this song.
Finneas struck the perfect balance between old school rocker and techno producer. His sparkly top and androgenos dance moves felt reminiscent of Harry Styles’ performances, but stayed true to Finneas’s own artistic style as the lighting, staging, and song elements provided the audience with the electronic context in which his music is typically consumed. His voice, even better live than through my car speakers, rang out from all corners of the stage – ranging from lying on top of the piano to on his knees before the front row.
Finneas’s younger demographic dominated the audience and appeared to know every word to every song. While I felt naïve in the face of his true fanbase, I became enraptured by his passionate approach to slower songs and energetic shift to his more upbeat moments. Finneas was sure to remain connected to the audience and continue to perform even in the quieter songs. I watched as tears were shed during “Only a Lifetime”, “Partners in Crime”, and “What They’ll Say About Us”. Moments later, however, he got the crowd back on their feet with hits like “The Kids Are All Dying”, “Around My Neck”, and ended the show with “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night”.
In the wake of Travis Scott’s Astroworld Tragedy, artists everywhere are gaining respect for staying in tune with the wellbeing of their audience. Finneas stopped in the middle of his set to check in with the audience and encourage one man in the front to get water as he looked faint. This attention to detail and connection Finneas felt with the audience permeated throughout his entire performance, making it one of my favorites in the past year.
After seeing Finneas live, I feel like a true fan. He made me like him more than I already did through his charm and camaraderie with audience members. Actions like taking small moments to sign posters and accept gifts from loving fans while entertaining a large crowd makes the live music experience truly special. If you haven’t already, purchase tickets to see The Optimist Tour immediately. I have a feeling this is the last time it will be this cheap to see him perform.