Photos by Julian Gonzales
On February 10th, San Diego’s House of Blues welcomed Khamari for the opening night of his tour, To Dry A Tear Part II. As an up-and-coming artist, Khamari has begun to establish his voice within the vast R&B world through his vulnerable lyrics and velvety vocals. Despite his rise, I was, admittedly, not very familiar with his discography prior to the show, having only heard his larger hits. Eager to discover more, I entered the sold-out venue with much anticipation for the evening ahead.
After a captivating opening set from Gabriel Jacoby, Khamari took the stage. Walking out with an acoustic guitar in hand, he began the night with “He Said, She Said.” Filled with lush harmonies and jazzy keys, this track set the tone for the rest of the night: warm, soulful, and intimate. It felt perfectly suited to the seemingly endless number of couples in the crowd.
My brief bitterness at the sight was long forgotten when the familiar notes of “Didn’t I” by soul singer Darondo rolled through the speakers. The song’s catchy first verse, sampled by Khamari in “Right My Wrongs,” had the audience immediately singing along. That energy carried seamlessly into “Acres,” where Khamari asked fans to echo the line “someday, someday, someday” back to him. I always appreciate a good call-and-response moment. From his steady eye contact to these interactive bits, he consistently acknowledged the crowd—an effort that, these days, feels rarer than it should.
If the immediate cheers weren’t enough of an indicator, the sudden surge of phones in the air made it unmistakably clear that the next song was a fan favorite: “I Love Lucy,” the slow-tempo, tender opener to his latest album, To Dry a Tear. Over the course of the night, he performed every track from this project, weaving them together with select highlights from his debut, A Brief Nirvana.
A standout amongst these older songs was “Drifting,” which leans into more alternative textures with its bass-driven groove and chopped-up sample of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.” While Khamari remained as enthralling as he had been all night, I couldn’t take my eyes off his band. His keyboardist, guitarist, and drummer were some of the most dynamic musicians I have seen yet. Their overwhelming passion and spirited energy were infectious; I didn’t realize how tired I’d grown of nonchalant bassists until this point.
Taking a break from the rhythmic keys and electric guitar riffs, Khamari unplugged for an acoustic set of “Close,” “Doctor, My Eyes,” and “Head in a Jar.” The stripped-back arrangements gave him the space to showcase his rich tone and natural rasp, his voice radiating a warmth that no recording can quite capture.
The energy picked right back up for “Lonely in the Jungle,” a lush, yet upbeat track that had the crowd instinctively swaying and nodding along to its entrancing rhythm. Following that was “Sycamore Tree,” a soulful, 90s-inspired ballad built around a sample of D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel)”—a household classic. The show closed with “Apollo Eighteen” and “These Four Walls,” performances that had the audience leaning in, completely immersing themselves in the nostalgic intimacy of the moment.
With a final goodbye and gentle reminder to “take care of each other and be kind to one another,” Khamari made his exit, having effortlessly created a night of introspection and connection, unequivocally proving that he is a true artist to watch.
