CHILDISH GAMBINO Brings His ‘This Is America Tour’ to a Close at LA’s Forum.

Back in September and October, Donald Glover better known in the music world as Childish Gambino had to cancel his two LA tour dates due to an ankle injury. The shows were postponed until December 16th and December 17th. All Access had the pleasure of attending the Sunday, December 16th show at LA’s Forum.

According to the artist, this tour, called the This Is America Tour, is his fifth and final headlining tour. During his first show in Atlanta, Glover confirmed that this is the last Gambino tour ever, telling the audience: “I love you forever for supporting me and coming out for this shit. Second, if you’re in here, that means you bought a ticket, so you don’t need to film this shit. Experience this shit. This is not a concert. This is fucking church. If you’re not here to celebrate life, if you’re not here to enjoy your time here, if you’re just here to hear your favorite song, you should go home right now and do that. I’m here to have an experience with y’all tonight, ya feel me?” He shared these same thoughts at his LA show on December 16th.

During the night, Childish Gambino performed songs found on his 2016 Glassnote Records album, “Awaken, My Love,”  his 2013 collection, “Because the Internet,” his 2014 EP “Kauai” and various singles from the last year.  This past summer, the singer put out the single “This Is America” and an EP called “Summer Pack” via RCA Records. The sold-out crowd at the Forum seemed particularly thrilled to hear these newer songs. Fan favorites of the night included “Summertime Magic,” “Boogeyman,” “Riot,” “Feels Like Summer,” “This Is America,” “V. 3005” and of course the final chart-topping song of the night, “Redbone.”

Despite being at the Forum and having a large area and venue to really incorporate elaborate set design, pyrotechnics and more, Childish Gambino chose a simpler and more music-focused approach to this concert. He wore light pants and no shirt a la his his “This Is America” video and had a completely natural air about him the whole night.

For the majority of the show, he stood alone at the end of the runaway that jutted out from the main stage. When he wasn’t singing, rapping or dancing along to every track, he was thanking the audience for being there and asking them to put away their phones. He expressed how much he wanted people to not try to act cool and that “looking cool is fleeting.” The artist wanted concert-goers to enjoy the show and not take photos all night.

It certainly was hard not to get lost in his music, his incredible voice and his smooth dance moves. He effortlessly moved around his part of the stage and made everyone else in attendance want to move along with him. At one point during the concert, he even walked into the stands and sang in the middle of a crazed section of fans.

There were two tall structures on stage that filled up with either bright lights or images of people depending on the song. Between those and the incredible choir and dancers on the back stage, Childish Gambino was fully supported out on the runaway.

For those that weren’t already aware of it before, it was clear after a night of his music at the Forum, Childish Gambino is an artistic mastermind and certainly proved just how capable he is of entertaining all roughly 17,000 of us that were there.