K-pop star-turned-indie-songwriter Eric Nam brought the first stop of his There and Back Again tour to The Warfield in San Francisco last month for a positively electric performance. With a sold-out show and a line of hundreds extending several streets past the venue, it was evident well before Nam even stepped onstage that this show would be special.
Nam’s last stop in San Francisco was at the very same venue on March 10, 2020, just one week before the first stay-at-home orders turned the world upside down and brought the touring industry to a screeching halt. For Nam and fans, this tour marks a new beginning and a return to the excitement of live music. As the first stop on tour, San Francisco’s crowd contained a particularly kinetic energy. In the moments before Nam took the stage, the crowd frantically chanted his name, eager to finally experience his performance again.
Nam’s magnetic charisma was on full display throughout the night, equal parts bombastic and self-effacing. In between hits like “Lost on Me” and “Any Other Way,” the former K-pop star joked with the audience about his propensity for talking during the show, saying “I’m so excited that you guys are here for a TED Talk…I’m only half-joking.” Even with Nam’s impressive choreography and intoxicating voice, he remains refreshingly down-to-earth, saying he wasn’t sure how he bamboozled them into being there. Even with Nam’s humble self-deprecation, his impressive skill stage presence and show loud and clear why so many fans so eagerly awaited his arrival.
Eric Nam in San Francisco:
- PHOTOS: Yves Tumor – San Francisco, CA – 5/23/23 - June 13, 2023
- PHOTOS: Shea Coulee – San Francisco – 3/31/23 - April 17, 2023
- PHOTOS: Maggie Rogers – San Francisco – 3/5/23 - March 21, 2023
