We stopped by Majestic Theatre for a SOLD OUT night with Tai Verdes for his HDTV Tour. Check out our recap and photo gallery from the night below!
Majestic Theatre's floor is packed. It's a sold out show and Tai Verdes brings in a high school and college-aged crowd, who, vapes in hand, are pushed together with little breathing room. Security is constantly advising attendees to not stand on the stairs--it's a fire hazard--but everyone is wanting to be as close to the stage as possible.
Viral sensation, Tai Verdes, is a newer face to the spotlight, gaining huge popularity over the pandemic for his TikTok hit, "A-O-K." Tai is an alumnus of our On The Verge artist series, and you can hear him on Z104. He has an obvious pull, and he's riding the success into something more long-lasting; it's obviously working too, selling out Majestic Theatre on a Monday night. Other than "A-O-K," he's racked up millions of streams on songs like "LAst dAy oN EaRTh," "Stuck In The Middle" and more, with over seven million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Based on the non-Majestic staff going in and out of stage doors, it looks like Tai has brought a pretty big team with him. With no opener for the tour, Tai is supposed to take the stage right at 8pm. According to a fan in the crowd however, it's "on brand for him to be fashionably late," which rings true for his 8:30 arrival.
I wasn't sure what his production would be like, but he's brought his own set of lights that have to be precisely set on Majestic's small stage. He's also brought a band, which I wasn't expecting with his production-focused music, but it makes for a more interesting performance. Before Tai comes on stage, we hear an intro which compiles a handful of his introductions from various voices, including our very own Ryan Seacrest. The intro alludes to his huge virality and the press that's surrounded him for a year. The six-foot-seven singer emerges silhouetted, staring into the sold out crowd before starting "Trix in the Bag," a chin-high banger off of HDTV.
It's not hard to ease into Verdes's sound as he takes a distinctly Californian, easy-going style of songwriting that reminisces acts like Surfaces or Quinn XCII with a twist of Chance the Rapper or KYLE. His music shows a sunny side of life, which during pandemic times, was a good reminder. I partially owe his success to having a timely sound while also capturing TikTok in it's earlier days.
Tai alternates between singing and rapping, keeping things light yet reflective on his two projects. His 2022 album, HDTV, swaps between being laid-back and cocky to taking on heartbreak. It's a huge album, with 20 tracks and a near-hour runtime. There's something to be said about how much music Tai has pumped out since his quick start: he skipped any early EPs and went straight for a 13-track album just last year. It's possible he's been banking these songs for years and is just now putting them out under his record deal, but I have a feeling he's also being strategic about starting his career in a stream-centric landscape.
I wasn't sure how Tai would be on stage--I knew he'd be somewhat comfortable since he's been booked for appearances around the country (including a show in Green Bay earlier this summer), but he's also a very new performer nonetheless. He, however, instantly has a huge presence from the second he steps out. If there's any nervousness, I can't detect it. Tai Verdes has a natural charisma, and I'm sure part of it is learned and trained, but performing is a second nature for him. Tai's movement, gestures and even facial expressions match the lyrics he's spitting, and he's immediately interactive and responding to the crowd. Most of the show is high-energy and upbeat, but we take moments to feel heartbreak and sincerity even when the music is lively.
I have a moment where I realize how prevalent his music actually is: he's singing songs I've heard on every other TikTok without realizing they're Tai's. He's got an ear for relevance and a smart team behind him. If Tai keeps that ear open, he has a decent shot of longevity and becoming a focal point on the charts. A sold out Majestic Theatre feels good for him, because it's intimate and lets him be close to the fans, but I don't doubt that he has bigger aspirations for growing his fanbase to fit into stadiums. We'll keep an eye on Tai Verdes in the meantime, and I recommend you do too.
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