On Friday, Dec. 6, Hobart-born singer Omar Apollo returned to his Indiana hometown to perform a show on his Speed of Sound Tour. Apollo performed both new and old music for the fans at the sold out show. I attended the concert with Mia Martinez (12), Adriana Rodriguez (11), Nitya Shah (11), Ava Solis (12) and Maisie Westerfield (12) and it did not disappoint.

The concert was held at the Hobart Art Theater, which has a capacity of 425 seats. This was the smallest venue I have ever attended, and it really made for an intimate and exciting show because of how close we were to all of the performers. There were two opening acts: Dijon and Chicago-based Silver Sphere. Apollo seemed to keep in mind what his fans would enjoy hearing when choosing openers, as we all really enjoyed the music that was played.

When we finally got into the venue after waiting on the crowded street outside, we followed the crowd as everyone filed in toward the stage. We ended up being extremely close to the stage, as it was such a small standing room capacity. As the opening acts played, the anticipation to see Omar Apollo grew and grew. The stage’s backdrop was a neon sign that read “Omar Apollo” that flashed along with the performances in order to create an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere.

When Apollo emerged from behind the stage, the crowd screamed with excitement as he began to play his first song. He played almost all of his most popular songs, both old and new. The 22-year-old singer returned for a two-song encore and played his last song (“So Good”) with all of his hometown friends dancing on the stage with him.

While we were in line to buy merchandise after the show, we were able to meet the opening act, Silver Sphere, and talk to her and her band for a while. They were really nice and appreciative, which added to the overall concert experience. They had posters and shirts available for all of the performers.

This was one of my favorite concerts that I’ve ever been to, and I am so grateful that I was able to experience it with my friends. He sang all of my favorite songs and his live vocals sounded almost exactly like the recordings, if not better. Apollo’s performance was absolutely amazing, and while he was dancing around on stage you could tell that he truly enjoys what he does. In between songs, he kept mentioning to the audience that Hobart was his hometown and that he appreciated everyone from there. He put on an amazing show and I am so excited to continue going to his concerts as he grows and tours more throughout the years.