In Detroit, Lil Nas X Impresses With ‘Montero’ Tour Opener

Despite his limited discography, Lil Nas X kicked off his first-ever concert tour on Tuesday night (September 6) at the Fox Theatre in Detroit with a massive performance.

The Long Live Montero Tour, which lasted 65 minutes, three acts, and more than a dozen songs, was designed to dazzle, which should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen the Georgia-born singer’s extravagant performances for award shows and other events.

Stuart Evers, creative director, stated in his own note, “The looks we created together explore tensions between the past, present, and future…

a look at how inspiring people like Montero (Hill, Lil Nas X’s birth name) are shaping (and reshaping) our contemporary American narrative, as well as a celebration of our shared optimism for the future.”

A three-panel screen behind the stage displayed an elaborate video production depicting Lil Nas X and eight dancers enacting a complex concept.

The show started an hour late, at 7:30 p.m., and was narrated by The Wizard of Naz, a woman whose image was projected onto the curtain between the show’s three acts, while the instrumental music and some voices, including Doja Cat’s performance on “Scoop,” were all recorded to track.

Lil Nas X, introduced as “one of those special souls,” performed “Panini” solo while wearing the first of six outfits — shirtless with gold pants — before dancers joined him for precise and athletic choreography.

“A Visit From a Friend” and “Pure/Honey” production numbers flitted between songs from his EP (7) and 2021 album Montero, and the selection was heavy on big hits — “Old Town Road,” which was paired with “Rodeo,” “Sun Goes Down,” “That’s What I Want,” and “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” — but also slotted in deeper cuts like “Don’t

Several of the songs were accompanied by lasers and smoke jets, and during “Call Me By Your Name,” Lil Nas X donned a pair of enormous butterfly wings, after which dozens of animated Lil Nas X butterflies flew across the video screen.

At the end of Act Two, an elaborately staged short film titled “You Are Going to Hell” addressed the spiritual homophobia he encountered in his life.

The emphasis was on performance and precision, whether it was the cowboy-themed routine “Old Town Road”/”Rodeo” or the exuberant expositions “That’s What I Want” and “Scoop.”

During “Down Soul Hoes,” he told the Detroit audience to “get the f*** up and shake your asses or you’ll be escorted out of the building,” referring to his first tour.

“Who’s of legal age here and wants to f***?” he asked, before quickly clarifying, “no, no, that’s a joke,” and then asking, “What’s the deal with airline food?”

Lil Nas X closed out the main set and “formal” portion of the performance with a muscular, full-length rendition of “Industry Baby” as confetti rained down on the audience, and he then performed his most recent single, “Star Walkin’,” which was received as enthusiastically as any of the night’s other songs.

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