By April 27, 2022
The nearly three-week postponement of Lucky Daye’s Charlotte show may have felt like an eternity for fans, but the line for entry spanning two NoDa blocks was a clear indicator of the crowd’s eager energy on Monday night. Announced two months before his album of the same name, the Candy Drip tour sold out almost immediately. Although it was one of the hottest days of the year so far, the cool breeze provided relief for those taking photos of their outfits and chatting about the tour bus parked out front. For some couples it was a date night, for the groups of friends ordering rounds of drinks at the bar it was a night on the town, but for all it was a showcase of the New Orleans native and Charlotte’s love for R&B.
As the crowd packed into Neighborhood Theatre, the house music set the tone for the evening. “Didn’t Cha Know” by Erykah Badu and “Novocane” by Frank Ocean were crowd favorites; as they came over the speakers a chorus of nostalgia rang from the bar to the balcony.
The night was flowing seamlessly but an off-beat moment with Daye’s DJ trying to hype the crowd moments before he arrived fell flat. Introducing himself as “DJ Easy,” over a musicless crowd, there was no follow up set from the DJ after the introduction and hardly a reaction from the crowd. As the house music was brought back, it was clear fans were full of excitement and only wanted to see the rapidly ascending R&B singer-songwriter, Lucky Daye.
Crooning from the low lights, Daye seemingly appeared out of thin air during an explosive drum break that trickled seamlessly into “Candy Drip.” Draped in a royal blue Hood By Air jumpsuit and leather Bottega Veneta boots, Daye carried the solo show with confidence. Having spoken candidly about his anxiety and apprehension of his place in the music industry, it was clear the recent Grammy Award winner (Best Progressive R&B Album for Table for Two) is owning his personal mantra of preparation meeting opportunity.
From his debut album Painted to the Grammy Award-winning EP, Table for Two, to his latest album released in March, Candydrip, Daye effortlessly weaved in and out his catalog. The crowd sang along to most, but more enthusiastically to “Roll Some Mo,” “Ego,” and “Late Night.” Surprising the audience with a few intimate moments, two guests were brought on stage and were serenaded with “Happy Birthday,” while two more women were brought up for a more sensual rendezvous during “Love You Too Much.”
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A pump fake exit left fans chanting “Lucky! Lucky!” until his prompt return back to the stage. He closed the show with his lead single and first Billboard charting song, “Over.” Heavy-hitting percussion led to the finale of the show with an explosive adieu over a raucous applause.
Setlist:
“Candy Drip”
“Feels Like”
“Late Night”
“NWA”
“Intro”
“God Body”
“Good & Plenty”
“Bag”
“How Much Can A Heart Tak”
“On Read”
“Falling In Love”
“Intermission”
“Guess”
“Fuckin’ Sound”
“Buying Time”
“Karma”
“Real Games”
“Misunderstood”
“Floods”
“Used To Be”
“Deserve”
“Shoulda”
“Ego”
“Roll Some Mo”
“Cherry Forest”
“Love You Too Much”
Encore:
“Over”
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