The Weeknd Concert After Hours Til Dawn Tour at Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens

MIKE DEAN

American hip hop record producer, audio engineer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Mike Dean, is known for being the legendary producer for Kanye West and Travis Scott. Mike Dean opened up the concert with a rhapsody of progressive electronic sounds. His mix of ambient synthesizers and bumping bass lines echoed throughout the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida that evening. Warming up the fans for a great show ahead. The audience was receptive and cheered on with excitement between tracks. 

KAYTRANADA

Next up, Haitian-Canadian record producer and DJ Kaytranada popped up on stage behind a modest set up. Laying down tune after tune of infectious beats and popping grooves and hooky choruses. He danced and moved around as he played his set. Pulling out cool dance moves and straight up getting down to the tracks that rang out. He was very animated and vibrant. You could easily tell the crowd enjoyed his performance and the tracks he was spinning. The audience danced and swayed to his music. 

THE WEEKND

As technical producers hurriedly prepared the stage for the Weeknd’s upcoming performance after Kaytranada’s performance and the crowd roared with excitement. Eventually, as the audience waited on edge and in anticipation, the concert began and the audience created a wave which spread throughout the stadium. The excitement could be felt throughout the venue. Soon after, a massive inflatable moon started to rise up from the stage floor. Slowly filling up with air as it continued to climb high above the end of the catwalk. The intricate stage setup displayed an anti-utopian city that featured crumbling buildings, smoke, and lights. 

The Weeknd finally appeared from the smoke and the entire stadium went wild. A group of veiled dancers dressed in vibrant red gongs began filling the stage around him. He began the show with “Alone Again.” The energy was unrivaled. Throughout the set, walls of flames shot up from the sides of the catwalk and from the buildings on stage. The pyrotechnics were absolutely insane. I could feel the warmth of the heat against my face every time they were triggered. 

The Weeknd’s presence was incredible as he walked unto the catwalk. He performed several of his most popular songs, hitting every note effortlessly. As the heat increased, he took off his black trench coat and threw it into the crowd, as he moved his way back up to the stage. Everyone on the ground floor was standing on their seats, thoroughly enjoying the performance. If you weren’t standing on your seat there was no way you could possibly see the show from the floor. The show was a spectacle to be seen and you could tell what a grand time the Weeknd was having as he performed song after song. His vocals were impeccable and seamless.

The Weeknd would face the microphone and stare at the audience and let them sing parts of the songs. In turn they would sing it back word for word in unison without a hitch. He ended his set with "Blinding Lights” which was a great closer to the night. The fans were absolutely ecstatic. As the show came to an end, his veiled dancers formed a line and walked back toward the city. With him following behind, eventually fading into the top of one of the buildings. The Weeknd went into the smoke of the night and ended an incredible concert in South Florida.. 

Coverage by Jesse Samuel // Instagram: @moments.haveu

Photography by Viviana Franco // Instagram: @viviana.ttl

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