San Holo played to a packed crowd at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, CA on 11/20/2021. San Holo is currently on an extensive US fall and winter tour in support of his new album, bb u ok?. This was my second time at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, but my first time seeing San Holo live. Photographing him from the photo pit, and feeling the energy and emotion of the crowd, was an amazing experience.
Anyway, tickets for upcoming San Holo shows can be purchased at https://sanholo.com/shows. Also be sure to check the Official San Holo Website for music, videos, merchandise, news, and all upcoming tour dates. Continue reading below for my full concert review and more photos from the performance. All images copyright and courtesy of Ardin Lo.
After energetic performances from openers Chet Porter, Manilla Killa, and Kasbo, Sander took the stage by storm with a live remix of the title single “bb u ok?” off his new album. As he transitioned into another one of his hit songs “lift me from the ground” from album 1, the crowd was singing at a deafening roar, chanting in unison with Sander as he riffed on the guitar.
As I moved out of the photo pit, after the first three songs, I looked to find a higher vantage point, since Sander brought out a full set of new visuals for this tour. Intersecting lasers, fog machines, and pyrotechnics all combined to form a full visual experience that could only be appreciated from a little further out.
From the balcony level of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, I took the rest of the set in and looked to capture moments where Sander’s music really resonated with the crowd. Crowd favorites “IT HURTS!” and “We Rise” were anthemic singles that brought out the full force of the crowd. As Sander stepped off the stage after “one more day”, no one in the venue left as everyone knew the performance wasn’t complete without his biggest song, “Light.”
As the lights dimmed and San Holo came back on stage for his encore, the crowd roared and the opening synth lines echoed throughout the large auditorium. “Light” was a coronation for Sander, who had highlighted the difficulty of getting a tour with so many moving parts started after COVID. As the crowd belted the chorus lyrics of “I just wanna see the light” and as the confetti rained down, it felt like San Holo was finally back.
He ended his set on a more quiet and hopeful note with an acoustic version of “in the end I just want you to be happy” on the guitar and asked the crowd to raise their cellphone lights, creating a memorable image. And as tradition holds, Sander handed out a guitar at the end of the show to a deserving fan in the crowd. All in all, an amazing and much needed night.
Below are more photos from San Holo’s performance at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, CA on 11/20/21. You can also find more photos here. All images copyright and courtesy of Ardin Lo/Hazy Eye Media.
