Kesha takes San Diego on a joyride at North Island Amphitheatre with Chromeo and Sizzy Rocket
On the night of May 23rd, the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre became the ultimate destination for pop music lovers as it hosted the iconic Kesha on her Freedom Tour. The atmosphere was filled with an incredible sense of nostalgia and fresh energy from the moment fans began filling the seats and crowding the pit. The anticipation was high for this concert on the outdoor venue, proving that her fanbase remains as passionate and ready to celebrate as ever.
The evening’s lineup originally featured Sizzy Rocket kicking things off, though unfortunately, we weren’t able to catch her opening set. However, the evening’s energy got a massive boost from Chromeo, who served as one of the two opening acts for the night. They were clearly having an absolute blast on stage, effortlessly transmitting their fun, infectious energy directly to the audience. Their light work was nothing short of phenomenal, creating a visually beautiful set where the stunning illumination became the absolute highlight of their entire performance. They left the crowd fully warmed up, grooving, and perfectly primed for what was to come.
After that Kesha hit the stage with a massive bang by opening with TiKToK, her most streamed song ever and a bold move that few artists would dare to pull off. She made her grand entrance wearing a spectacular, pale pink corset outfit adorned with massive, feathered angel wings spread wide behind her. This kicked off a show structurally divided into four distinct segments marked by her sequential wardrobe changes. The visual journey transitioned from the opening wings to a striking, futuristic red-and-black structured bodysuit with matching armored shoulder pads and high boots. She then shifted into a casual, 2000s pop look featuring a pink graphic t-shirt reading KESHA RECORDS (the new label she started) paired with shiny black briefs and metallic pink cowboy boots. The final era culminated in a magnificent, glittering gold armored corset ensemble detailed in, complete with a radiant, spiked golden halo headpiece that framed her as she performed from a high booth. The night was packed with standout moments; Kesha unexpectedly walked off the stage to make a full round from the pit to the seats behind the audio booth, singing, dancing, and interacting face-to-face with ecstatic fans. She kept the amphitheater laughing by tossing sweat-soaked towels into the crowd and jokingly promising to send a crew member to retrieve a fan who brought teeth for her, claiming she would craft a necklace out of them. Another deeply memorable highlight occurred during her performance of Past Lives, when the entire venue turned on their phone lights, creating a beautiful sea of stars that Kesha openly admired from the stage.
The expansive setlist beautifully bridged her career, ranging from her oldest fan-favorites to her latest musical era. The amphitheater erupted for massive, time-tested hits like “Backstabber,” Cannibal, Take It Off, and Timber, while also heavily vibrating to her newest tracks like JOYRIDE, FREEDOM, YIPEE-KI-YAY, and ORIGAMI. For the grand finale, she closed the night with a powerful four-song run, leaving the crowd at a peak emotional high with the final two anthems, Your Love Is My Drug and We R Who We R. Following this incredible stop, her tour continues pushing up through the West Coast, rapidly drawing to a close with its final two dates scheduled for Idaho and Washington. To make sure you stay updated on her journey, upcoming tour extensions, and new music releases, don’t forget to follow her across her official social media platforms. We wish Kesha and her incredible team a spectacular and successful end to their tour, and from ListenSD, we hope to see her bring her unmatched pop spectacle back to our region very soon!
