It’s been five years since Philly fans have gotten the opportunity to enjoy soulful tunes from the TDE R&B singer SiR, but luckily prayers were answered with the new album Heavy. Throughout the sixteen-track record, the Inglewood crooner tells his journey from addiction to sobriety and the struggles of getting back to who he once was. Many fans, including myself, have enjoyed the project so once we found out SiR was coming to North Philly to perform at The Fillmore, we knew it was imperative to see him perform our favorite songs off Heavy, as well as other favorites joints from his catalog.
SiR | photo by Melissa Simpson for WXPN
The first opener of the show was his older brother Davion Farris, who started off by covering the classic “I Wish” by Carl Thomas, which I thought was the perfect way to get the crowd to open up in case they were not that familiar with him. A friend of mine and I talked between songs and both agreed that his cadences and runs sounded like Trey Songz, but with stronger vocals and more range.
Next was another TDE singer, Zacari, whose set was not as vibrant. He had to work through sound issues, and didn’t have as strong a stage presence as Davion. However, the crowd turned up when he sang “Love” from Kendrick Lamar’s album DAMN, a song which for many listeners was their first introduction to Zacari. Hopefully this was just an off night for him and has better moments throughout the rest of the tour.
Zacari | photo by Melissa Simpson for WXPN
Finally the man of the hour appeared on stage and got right into business starting the night off with the “Heavy” leading to “Karma,” which got Philly ready to sing along. SiR even brought Zacari back out to help perform “Mood.” SiR also reflected on the album’s themes: counting his blessings like being two years sober, that he has a second child on the way, and that his brother got to open for him during tour.
During his set, SiR gave someone in the crowd a chance to pick a song for him to sing that wasn’t part of his setlist. A lucky fan named Christina chose “That’s Why I Love You,” but asked SiR if she could sing Sabrina Claudio part. Like the gentleman he is, he granted her request. It was so dope to see the two of them sing another fan favorite as well as the crowd cheering Christina on. He then went to play more joints off Heavy like “Ricky’s Song,” and some personal favorites of mine like “I’m Trying My Hardest,” and “Only Human.” He even brought his brother Davion on stage to help him perform “The Recipe,” a song that Davion co-wrote.
Philly is a city with so much history when it comes to soul music, so it feels amazing to hear some quality soul music from an artist like SiR whenever they come into town. It was not only great to hear new music from him and see him perform, but also good to see that he was doing well and taking care of himself.