Text by Kirstin Sow, photos by Yip Yong Jie
Sam Tsui rocked the stage at the Capitol Theatre on Sunday (November 17) as part of his Gold Jacket Asia tour. Along with his band, bassist Genna Projansky, drummer Joel Manduke and guitarist Jason Pitts, they came prepared to perform for their loyal fans, who are referred to as the #Samily.
This show was the third leg of his November Asia tour following the release of the ‘Trust’ album and latest single ‘Gold Jacket’. It is Tsui’s fourth time here as he previously performed at the Kallang Theatre back in 2016, 2014 and 2013 along with his music partner, Kurt Hugo Schneider. As one of the pioneering musicians to create a hugely popular Youtube channel of song covers, medleys and mashups, internet singer-songwriter, Tsui rose to fame, accumulating more than 500 million channel views since their inception in 2011.
The small and intimate show at the Capitol Theatre gave fans a greater opportunity to be up close and personal to Sam and his band. Right from the start, the catchy tunes of Trust, Uptown Funk/ Lips are Moving mashup and Cameo energised the crowd of young fans. It was amazing to witness the palpable chemistry and energy between Sam and his bandmates as he belted out his passionate tunes along with the stage interactions. The 1.5 hour performance lineup included some original tracks from his two albums: Make It Up (2013) and Trust (2018). A mixture of music covers and mashups, including ‘Just a Dream’, and his birthday mashup as well as the latest singles ‘Gold Jacket’ and ‘Muscle Memory’ were also performed.
Some of the concert highlights include hearing the only Mandarin song of the night, ‘Won’t Cry’ by Jay Chou as Tsui encouraged fans to sing along with him; an extravagant dance performance of the latest ‘Gold Jacket’ single; and a passionate duet of ‘Thinking Out Loud’ and ‘I’m Not The Only One’ mashup with husband, Casey Breves. It was heartening to witness the synchronised harmonisation and display of raw emotions between the couple. All in all, these segments were really enjoyable and well received by the crowd.
The Gold Jacket tour would not be complete without a sparkling performance. With not only one but three golden jackets, Sam lit up the stage literally with his outfit changes, giving the audience a stunning visual spectacle. It was a really fun and vibrant atmosphere with fast beats and infectious dance moves. The line up was definitely golden. As Sam croons, “I always feel better when I put on my gold jacket”, it is easy to fall into the trap of self doubt as a lot of things in the world “tells us that we are not enough or makes us feel less than” but we can “just fake it till you make it by adopting an act that you are just awesome, by putting it on like a gold jacket and armoring yourself with that self esteem and self confidence. You can kinda make it real and there is a magic to that.”
The lively mood in the theatre took a solemn, emotional turn when Sam gave a solo performance of ‘Just a Dream’ to pay tribute to and honor his friend, Christina Grimmie. This song has a “special place” in Sam’s heart as many people appreciated it and was one of the songs that launched Tsui’s online popularity.
The 1.5 hours concert came to a magical end as the night closed with ‘Just for Tonight’, with Sam proclaiming his love for Singapore and promising to return to our shores in the near future. Just for tonight, Sam and his band gave their fans a memorable night to remember; to leave the labels all behind, remind ourselves we are alive and dance as long as we like.
