Bryson Tiller Serenades Seattle

Bryson Tiller w/ H.E.R.
WaMu Theater, Seattle, WA
08.19.17

Gliding right into the rising tide of R&B, Bryson Tiller gave Seattle the night of slow jams they were looking for.

Opening the tour for Tiller, label mate H.E.R. took the stage with a smooth voice and a captivating presence. While none of her tracks are extremely popular, they definitely fit with the vibe and the style of the night, making it easily enjoyable for the crowd.

Next up, producer Metro Boomin acted as hype man to get everyone excited for the headliner, playing a familiar mix of popular tracks and remixes. Shortly after he took his place atop his LED-screen castle, the whole venue was jumping along, singing lyrics from Future, Post Malone, and many more.

Then the smoke began to thin across the stage and Bryson Tiller ran out, proudly starting with “Self-Made,” set to loud cheers from throngs of sweaty teens mushed against the barricade.

With two albums full of the type of smooth slow-jams that seem to litter every Spotify playlist, Tiller’s music isn’t anything shockingly unique or different from the likes of bigger R&B names like The Weekend or PARTYNEXTDOOR; but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Because it’s so focused in one direction, his performance flows nicely without anything feeling too out of place. Down to the core though, that music style is popular for a reason right now: it’s fun stuff and younger fans certainly enjoy it.

“Exchange” was clearly a big highlight for most of the crowd. With classic lyrics aimed towards an ex and a smooth flow, the track does a nice job of putting his emotional performance on display.

Though there were fancy stage lights and lots of smoke, Tiller’s performance at WaMu Theater boiled down to exactly what “R&B” means to music fans today. He took things back to the basics, serenading the crowd for the night with a nice collection of his work.

Review and photos by Lulu Dawson

Bryson Tiller