Chicago-born rapper Saba brought The Big Picture Tour to the Royale on June 15. His trip to Boston marked the midpoint of the tour promoting his newest project, From The Private Collection of Saba & No I.D. The night began with Californian rapper Ovrkast, who performed selections from his latest album, While The Iron Is Hot. He split his time between a programmed drum pad and interacting with the audience, making sure to shake hands and dap up all the fans in the front few rows.  

Soon after, Saba stepped into the spotlight wearing a black turtleneck and what appeared to be a charming crocheted chicken hat, made from fluffy chunky yarn. He vowed to create an extra special show to make up for the fact that he hadn’t played the city in three years. He committed to this promise by playing high-energy tracks from his entire discography, including “Stoney (feat. Phoelix & BJRNCK)” and the viral hit “Photosynthesis” from his 2016 album Bucket List Project. Fans knew every word, proving themselves worthy of the show. 

Piano-fueled tracks like “Every Painting Has a Price (feat. BJ The Chicago Kid and Eryn Allen Kane)” and “BIG PICTURE (feat. Ogi)” from his newest album complemented the immersive stage set. White wall panels with framed black and white photo prints, reminiscent of the album cover, were scattered across the stage, making the venue a gallery come to life. His ability to effortlessly weave cadences hypnotized the crowd and the element of live instrumentals provided by his band fostered the level of authenticity that Saba is known for. He closed the night with the horn-heavy “Westside Bound Pt. 4.” Over the course of the performance, he exemplified his ability to tell a story through live performance just as he does in songwriting, making it fitting that the final song on the setlist was a follow up to Westside Boud parts 1-3 from his previous albums. Make sure to catch Saba before The Big Picture Tour ends later this month. Buy tickets here.

Check out all of Samantha’s photos from the show below.