Three Nights with Malcolm Todd in San Francisco, CA

I am still not over how great the show was last night! The line outside went down for at least two blocks. Everyone was all decked out in their best outfits, ready for night 2 with Malcolm Todd at The Regency in San Francisco. The rising alternative R&B singer-songwriter has captured the attention of many with his catchy and groovy tunes.

The night kicked off with a high-energy DJ set from Sophie Gray. She kept the crowd entertained with a stacked playlist of songs from originals like “ok bye” and “freaky4x.” She even had a couple of hype men join her for a couple of tracks, which might have been the highlight of her set. They made use of the stage with their dance moves, even spicing things up by taking off their shirts.

With the opening act coming to an end, it was telling that fans were ready for the main event. The lights were dimmed low, and Malcolm’s band began to take the stage. There was an uproar of screams as Malcom took center stage.

He opened up the set with “Harry Styles,” which I thought was more calming than other songs performed later on in his set. I think it was a good choice to start the set with a song that is playful like this one. The strings from the guitar kept me engaged and wanting more. I enjoyed the next two songs that were played.

I could hear everyone singing along to “ Make Me a Better Man.” The last thing that caught my attention before leaving the photo pit was a poster with a picture of Malcolm with his head shaved off that said, “ Malcolm, This is where I’m gonna be when I’m gone!” It did make me laugh a bit.

Later on in the show, we entered the acoustic part of his set. The vibe immediately switched, and I loved the rendition of his songs being stripped down with just him and his guitar. Fans in the crowd were singing along with him as he played “You Owe Me.” He wanted his next song to be an old one, and he dedicated it to all the OG fans. The next song that he played was “ Art House.” Everyone had their flashlights on their phones on waving them back and forth.

He then brought his band back on stage to introduce them to the crowd. The acoustic set didn’t end just yet, with him giving his band a bit of the spotlight by letting them sing backup for his next song. Which was a cover of “Our House” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was a cute and sentimental moment. 

As the night went on, more songs were played, and the crowd was still at its highest energy, with more fans dancing and singing their hearts out. Out of the next songs played, “Chest Pain” was one of the ones I was most familiar with as it was a song popular on TikTok. The song peaked at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It’s an addictive chorus and has a powerful production to back it up. 

As Malcolm left the stage, fans in the crowd were not ready for the night to end, but I knew what came next, and that was the encore songs. I thought the last song of the encore went hard as fans in the crowd were jumping up and down, making the venue shake.  I was told by a friend to keep an eye out for “Roomates,” and thank god I did because I was in the back jumping as well.

I came to this show not knowing much about Malcolm Todd. I had a friend invite me to one of his shows last year, but I sadly didn’t go. I did regret it, considering how much he has grown as an artist within the past year. After tonight, I’ve been playing a lot of his stuff in rotation. Some of my favorites at the moment are “Make Me a Better Man,” “Sweet Boy,” and “Bleed.” I recommend picking up a copy of his self-titled album and giving it a listen. 

Check out the full gallery here.