A Glimpse Into Sam Smith’s Intimate 20-Night Residency

A month after opening, Sam Smith performed their 17th of a 20-night residency at The Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Their residency is the first to announce the grand reopening of The Castro Theatre after a 2-year renovation to preserve and upgrade the marvelous theater that so many cherish. It is the first of many shows to be performed at The Castro to celebrate its greatness and bring in a community that music has created. 

Smith had many openers for their show as a way to celebrate the variety lineup of emerging and queer artists. Divorce, the opener for my show, with their alternative country band from Nottingham; only two of the four groups were in attendance: Tiger Cohen-Towell and Felix Mackenzie-Barrow. Their set was an amazing introduction for those who haven’t listened to their music. 

Being in such an intimate venue, Sam Smith’s vocals were out of this world, especially to me, as this was my first time seeing them live, and it was something. They started the show with  “Lay Me Down” and continued on with fan favorites, such as “I’m Not The Only One”, “Too Good At Goodbyes”, “Dancing With A Stranger”, “Like I Can”, and more. I had a feeling Smith was having a great time, as they mentioned they “fuckin lovin this place”. In between songs, they said how they’ve “never felt so part of a community and so proud as well to be here.” I felt it was such an homage to this city, and especially this neighborhood, where many felt seen and welcomed. 

With this being in the Castro, you can’t have a show without having a drag queen to make it extra special. So while performing “I’m Not Here To Make Friends”, Smith brought out drag queen Lisa Frankenstein to entertain the crowd with them, giving it the SF touch. 

From start to finish, Smith was an amazing performer, constantly interacting with the crowd and with their band. After the show, everyone was given a Sam Smith ticket memorabilia that we’d get to take home to remember the show by. I am incredibly lucky I was given this opportunity to see them perform their heart out in such an intimate way that I'd probably never be able to again. So thank you to Sam Smith’s team for giving me that chance, and I will never forget this.

Written by Haley Ngow