Yungblud — Red Amphitheatre in Raleigh, NC — July 18, 2023

Witnessing Yungblud live for the first time felt so familiar, almost like seeing a family member after a long period of time. Being able to sit with Dominic’s (Yungblud) music for so long now, as an American fan; we were able to digest his grief, growth, and self-reflection while he was overseas. And now, with this North American tour prevailing; we were able to unpack all of these feelings while producing these authentic and emotional moments in real time.

The key moments for me throughout this show were his moving, passionate, and intense high energy performances of his songs “The Funeral,” “Sweet Heroine”, “Kill Somebody”, and “Medication” – Yungblud’s liveliness and spark really drove the show home, and was ridiculously exhilarating to actually be apart of.

If you’re a part of the Yungblud family, then you’re aware of how different and not “normal” Dominic is. And he’s okay with that, he learned to be okay with that; which attracted his now humongous and growing fan base around the world. Yungblud gave heartfelt speeches and words of encouragement throughout the night, from the start of his set all the way till the end. Reminding his friends, family, and supporters that it’s okay to be different, it’s okay to fuck up, it’s okay to be excited and care about the things you love deeply. And that no one can take that away from you because who you are is unique, and that the world needs more courageous, empathetic, creative, and warmhearted “weirdos”. He encourages that you stay true to yourself and care for the people around you, Dominic reminds his fans that they’re not alone; and never will be.

Closing out the set with one his most recent releases Lowlife (which came out at the start of the summer), Yungblud continued to raise the stakes by inviting some fellow concert goers to the stage to sing and jump around Raleigh’s beautiful amphitheater alongside him. This world tour is healing and expanding hearts around the globe, Yungblud has established his presence with genuine devotion to the people that surround him and continues to change the music industry with authenticity and his shining shamelessness.

Words & Photography: Isaiah Pate