Masego's "Fix Your Face" Tour Turns Minneapolis Into a Musical Masterclass
9.6.26 - Minneapolis, MN
The multi-talented singer and musician, Masego, brought a soul-filled set to The Fillmore in Minneapolis. His Fix Your Face Tour arrived in Minneapolis on September 5. The night was set for a smooth R&B takeover.
The opener for the night, Lekan, had a voice so good it could silence a room. This crowd, however, was anything but silent. It has been a long time since I’ve heard a crowd go so hard for an opener. The fans in the front were screaming every word, and Lekan fed off that energy. The whole crowd was vibing. I knew I was in for a treat the second Lekan stepped out onstage. He exudes confidence, and his stage presence was just perfect. Commenting on the crowd and encouraging them to follow him on all social media platforms was so endearing and funny. There’s something about a good opener that just makes the night better.
Photos by Rebecca Ackerman - @rackermanphoto
Masego strutted out onstage after a brief instrumentation from his band. Right away, he commanded the room. Coming out to “Wonderwoman” and “Limerance,” Masego showcased his musicality. Playing most of the instruments himself when recording his music, it was a joy to watch him build up and riff off his songs. During “Heaven,” he split up the crowd into alto, soprano, and tenor and brought a church-like feel to The Fillmore. It’s always obvious when an artist is heavily involved in creating their music and passionate about it, and Masego fits that category better than anyone.
Known for including the saxophone on his records and playing during his live shows, there was anticipation and murmurs in the crowd for when he was going to bring it out to play. He finally took it out for the first time during “Good & Plenty” and then a few times after that. I was expecting more saxophone just based on what I knew about his live performances, but in truth, seeing it those few times was a great experience. It kept me excited to see when he would take out his saxophone next.
The Minneapolis crowd knew to give all their energy to Masego, which was enough for him to play "Breathe," which he initially wanted to skip. Just when he entered a bit of a lull, “Navajo” began, and the entire crowd’s energy shifted back to full focus.
Masego wrapped up what he called “the emotional portion of the night” after “Dotted Line” and requested everyone turn the night into a party. A party ensued the rest of the night as Masego moved into more of his upbeat songs like “Mystery Lady,” “Hello,” and “Recommend.” During “Mystery Lady,” Masego had a bouquet of roses that he threw into the crowd.
As the night started to wind down, Masego gave his drummer, Jonathan Curry, the floor for a nearly two-minute drum solo. It should come as no surprise that Masego surrounded himself with other talented musicians. Masego closed out the show with “Tadow,” which was, of course, a crowd favorite.
The night left me wondering if there was an instrument Masego couldn’t play. This was a music-lover's dream to watch and reminded me about the joy of live music.
Photos by Rebecca Ackerman - @rackermanphoto
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