Omar Apollo’s electrifying performance at the Fonda Theater

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Photo by Matt Vinas

Omar Apollo plays guitar on stage.

The soulful singer-songwriter Omar Apollo was just a Midwestern kid from a small town in Indiana when his music career first gained recognition after releasing “Ugotme” in 2017.

Two years later, not only has he headlined his own tours and released two EPs, he has also performed at some of the biggest music festivals in 2019 such as Lollapalooza and Day N Vegas.

This month he appeared at even more festivals, such as Tropicália and Camp Flog Gnaw. Currently, Apollo is on his Speed of Sound Tour that began on Nov. 2.

Several hundreds of his supporters stood in line on Nov. 6 to watch him perform live at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles.

Once Apollo first hit the stage with “Ashamed,” he immediately dove into his own world. The neon signs and streamers made of CDs glistened on the stage, creating a groovy, 70s-like atmosphere. The crowd responded to Apollo’s animated dancing with equal energy and jumped at the sight of him being immersed in his music.

Being Mexican-American himself, the 22-year-old artist has gained a large following of Mexican-American fans as well, especially be- cause he represents their heritage in such a positive way through his music.

“Where are my Mexican fans at?” Apollo shouted out before performing one of his latest Spanish tracks, “Frío.” His fans roared in excitement as the reggaeton beats filled the room. Everyone danced and sang along like no one was watching.

What draws an even more diverse group of people to Omar Apollo is his ability to flawlessly master any genre he has a song for anyone and everyone to enjoy.

He stirred the setlist up by covering Queen’s “Cool Cat” which completely emphasized the groovy, 70s-like aesthetic for the night. He channeled his inner Freddie Mercury and showcased his strength in hitting high falsettos.

It is refreshing to see an up and coming artist like himself express so much charisma and confidence on stage. His passion for his artistry shows through his incredible stage presence.

To add a sense of nostalgia, Apollo serenaded the crowd with the romantic lyrics of his very first single “Ugotme” as his last song.

The crowd wasn’t ready for the show to end and chanted for an encore. Earlier during the show, superfans in the front row were begging their favorite singer to perform “Hijo de su Madre.” To the crowd’s surprise, he gave them what they wanted by performing this upbeat track for the finale.

As confetti spread all throughout the venue, Apollo’s friends and band members joined him to throw T-shirts into the crowd. When Apollo jumped into the crowd, his friends did too, making the atmosphere like that of one big party. It was a memorable way to end such a great show.