What to expect at Sombr’s You Are The Reason Tour: Setlist, start time, fan interactions and more

Welcome to SeatGeek Front Row, where music writers share their tips for attending the biggest concert tours around the country. For this edition, Seattle resident Olivia Petty breaks down what it’s really like to see Sombr's "You Are The Reason" Tour in person, sharing everything from the setlist to the merch situation. Olivia is a freelance features and music writer in the greater Seattle area.

Sombr is on a mission to turn the entire world into New York City. 

He said so himself during night two of the You Are The Reason Tour, when he told his Seattle fans to forget what city they were in just for the night. As the words WELCOME HOME flashed across the huge screen behind him, Sombr declared: “Tonight, you’re in New York City. You’re in Sombrland.”

The freshly 21-year-old pop star (Shane Michael Boose) is taking his colossal headlining tour coast-to-coast this fall, with nearly 40 show dates hitting almost every major North American city and ending with a triumphant homecoming at Madison Square Garden. In the spring of 2027, he’ll pick back up to take his production to the global stage, with dozens more dates scheduled in Australia, continental Europe, and the U.K., including a whopping five-night stint in London.

Here’s how his Seattle show unfolded, and what fans might want to know for future Sombr concerts. 

What a Sombr “You Are The Reason Tour” concert is actually like

Sombr is a born-and-raised TikTok sensation, but even if you’re a staunch social media absentee, chances are you’ve heard one or two of his songs on the radio, over the speakers at your local mall, or perhaps caught his SNL debut last year. His music is chock-full of catchy pop hooks and memorable mantras (“In a room full of people, I look for you”; “I don't want the children of another man to have the eyes of the girl that I won't forget”). He belongs to the lanky-limbed internet school of “indie sleaze,” with Julian Casablancas-esque vocal tendencies, the smoky romanticism of The 1975 and Cigarettes After Sex, and a sprinkle of Mick Jagger-ish panache. And at 6-foot-7, Sombr is, all around, hard to miss.

Climate Pledge Arena was alive with his fans, ranging from ecstatic teenyboppers to their equally-excited Gen X parents. Seattle Center was awash in a sea of red, burgundy, white, and black — Sombr’s signature colors — long before doors opened at 6 p.m. With three acts on the docket and the show not slated to start until 7 p.m., fans were in for a long and exciting night.

What time did Sombr start? Who opened for Sombr?

Sombr invited quite a few musical guests to join him for the You Are The Reason tour, ranging from budding experimental artists to veteran rock acts like Interpol. In Seattle, he was preceded by The Hellp and Balu Brigada.

Doors to the venue opened at 6 p.m., and The Hellp came onstage around 7:02, playing until 7:30. The Los Angeles-based electronic duo (Noah Dillon and Chandler Ransom Lucy) have been making music for about a decade, but have only recently emerged as major players in the electronic scene with their erratic and devilishly danceable sound. Equipped with an intricate synth setup and two blasé attitudes, their music is probably better-suited to a sweaty, low-ceilinged underground club than a cavernous arena — but location really doesn’t matter as long as you’re dancing. 

Balu Brigada followed at 7:45 p.m. with only 15 minutes between sets. A true blue four-piece indie rock band hailing all the way from New Zealand, they ramped up the rock vibes for their rambunctious 30-minute set, playing through the biggest hits off of their newest album Portal. Once the crowd was adequately warmed up, they concluded at 8:15 p.m., leaving the increasingly anxious crowd to wait another 55 minutes before Sombr finally took the stage at 9:10 p.m. He played for a total of 95 minutes, ending the night around 10:45 p.m. 

What songs did Sombr perform? What was the setlist?

Sombr’s set leaned hard into the messy, lovesick world of his catalogue, moving between wounded confessionals and hazy indie-rock. Bolstered by his smooth vocals and general swagger, his setlist is anchored by his first and only record, I Barely Know Her, with other popular singles woven throughout. He gave fans pretty much exactly what they wanted, including a chance for the audience to pick a song. (They chose “canal street.”)

After bopping back and forth between high-energy hits and emotional ballads, including his newest song “My Body Isn’t Ready,” he gave the audience an exuberant finale and played “12 to 12” twice all the way through, back to back. The second time, Sombr took a page out of Phoebe Bridgers’ book and commanded his fans to put down their phones so they could enjoy the song completely and wholeheartedly in the moment. 

“I’ve never done this before in my life,” he told the crowd. While saying so certainly made Climate Pledge Arena feel like the prettiest girl in the room, take that statement with a grain of salt — he’d played “12 to 12” twice earlier in the week at his Vancouver show, and will probably continue to do so going forward.

Here’s the full You Are The Reason Tour setlist:

1. we never dated

2. i wish i knew how to quit you

3. under the mat

4. perfume

5. come closer

6. Homewrecker

7. My Body Isn't Ready

8. do i ever cross your mind

9. undressed

10. Potential

11. canal street (Audience choice)

12. crushing

13. would've been you

14. back to friends (Extended)

15. 12 to 12 (Extended)

16. 12 to 12 (Played second time)

What did the stage and production look like?

Climate Pledge Arena plays host to many large-scale headlining tours with elaborate sets and lighting design, but Sombr’s production gave other acts a run for their money. 

For the first two opening sets of the night, it didn’t look like much: a huge black curtain draped over the back of the stage with a short catwalk jutting out to meet a simple rectangular B-stage in the center of the floor. The Hellp didn’t touch the catwalk, and Balu Brigada made humble use of it — but when the curtain dropped and Sombr emerged, the full stage became his rock n’ roll playground.

The show followed a narrative, beginning with a pre-recorded bird's-eye video of a shirtless Sombr rolling out of bed in his shoebox apartment, and then embarking on a wild night out in the city. The set was, in true NYC fashion, a Broadway-quality semi-fictional recreation of a gritty New York street corner (Canal and Orchard), complete with a graffiti-blitzed pizza shop, a dumpling house, and the ornate entrance of “Hotel Canal,” through which the singer first emerged. Draped in a metallic shirt, shimmery leather pants, heavy mixed-metal costume jewelry, and a generous amount of guyliner, the singer was glam-rocked out. 

Throughout the night, he zipped up and down various staircases, fire escapes, and ladders as he sang, strutting out to the B-stage frequently while golden strobes followed him. Behind the physical set, huge screens filtered through live on-stage camera feeds (thanks to the army of camera operators wielding giant gimbals and tracking Sombr from almost every angle) as well as digitally-rendered extensions of the set, showcasing tightly-packed apartments with silhouettes partying in the glowing windows. 

Adding another layer to the narrative, positive slogans and affirmations flashed across the screens, stating things like: “DANCE LIKE TOMORROW DOESN’T EXIST,” “YOU ARE ALIVE,” and “FEEL SOMETHING.” Regardless of what mood you walked in with, Sombr was determined to lift it up.

Does Sombr interact with fans during his shows?

Historically, Sombr has been known for direct interactions with his fans during shows, including bringing fans onstage in a way that brought some heat online. Now, Sombr has appeared to do away with that level of interaction, though he still had plenty of surprises in store. At one point during the night, he broke from the stage to run along the barricade, high-fiving and hugging fans before making his way into the stands in the lower level of the arena (in this case, Section 13 above Cove 11), where he sat down among the crowd. The audience went ballistic as he continued to sing along with them, relishing the attention. 

Then, after returning briefly to the stage for “back to friends,” he spray-painted a black flag with the words “SOMBR ♡ SEATTLE” and carried it through the arena, doing a full loop around the lower level as the song vamped. One thing was clear: he wanted to make his appreciation for his fans known.

What were fans wearing? 

Most fans were stylishly dressed in shades of red, burgundy, black, and white, some with metal-studded or sequin-bedazzled jeans, others in glittering mini dresses with shiny colored hair tinsel. Plenty wore Sombr merch, and some even got creative with DIY shirts that said things like “I Heart Sombr” and played on New York Knicks puns. Overall, the vibe was alternative and chic, but not too fancy.

What does Sombr’s tour merch look like?

Sombr’s “You Are The Reason” tour merch included two styles of hoodie ($110), five styles of t-shirt ($50), a baby tee ($50), a long-sleeve baseball tee ($65), two baseball hats ($45), a tote bag ($50), a vinyl and CD of I Barely Know Her ($20-$35) and even a small capybara plushie. 

There were multiple locations to grab merch throughout the arena, though the lines prior to the show were quite long. The estimated time was anywhere from 25 minutes to over an hour. Many fans were tied up in the merch lines after doors opened, during the first two opening sets, and during the 55-minute turnover between Balu Brigada and Sombr. Lines for merch weren’t as long leaving the arena, but hard to estimate given the mass exodus of people. 

Is the show family-friendly?

Sombr’s songs are generally radio-friendly, but the show leans more PG-13 than PG, given his use of profanity. There were some younger children in attendance with parents. However, the opening acts are a little more wily and may be tough for those with sensitive ears. Consider bringing earplugs or noise-canceling headphones. 

What attending a Sombr concert at Climate Pledge Arena was like

The main entrance to get into Climate Pledge Arena is the Alaska Airlines Entrance 1, located near the accessible and press entrances, though there are plenty of ways to get inside. The lines prior to 6 p.m. looked scarier than they actually were, as fans who were intent on being first in line for merch or having dibs on the General Admission barricade showed up well before 6 p.m. 

After 6 p.m., there was no line to get inside whatsoever; at 6:30 p.m., fans were able to easily walk in at multiple entrance points throughout the arena, entering through new metal detector technology that did not require anyone to empty their pockets. There were still separate entry points for people with bags, which were subject to x-ray screening.

What was seating at Climate Pledge Arena like?

At Climate Pledge Arena, there are variations of a General Admission “pit” with standing room on the floor of the arena, with some reserved folding seats set up in the back half. For Sombr, the General Admission section was small and split in two by the catwalk.

The rest of the arena was reserved seating. Floor seats and sections 20, 21, 220 and 221 have the most straight-on view of the stage; all other sections are at a slight angle, with sections 12 and 3 being the closest to the stage. Most photos of the stage in this article, unless otherwise specified, were taken from Cove 11 in row BB, the second row back from the floor (courtside). Cove 11 has a great view and is only accessible via elevator and private entrance.

(Alternate view from upper level)

How should I get to Climate Pledge Arena?

To get to Climate Pledge Arena, public transit is your best bet. The Link light rail stops at Westlake Station where you can transfer directly to the Seattle Center Monorail for a direct (and scenic) ride to Seattle Center, and then it’s just a two-minute walk to the arena. The Monorail runs for an hour after events end. There are plenty of King County Metro bus routes as well, including 1, 2, 8, 13, 32 and the RapidRide D Line, that stop near the west side of Seattle Center.

If you need to drive and park, there are three primary garages on the campus, including the underground Climate Pledge Arena Garage (accessed via underground entry), the 1st Ave N Garage and the 5th Ave Garage. However, parking close to the venue can be expensive and result in traffic jams.

How can I get tickets for an upcoming Sombr concert on SeatGeek?

Head over to Sombr’s artist page on SeatGeek and put in your location to see if there are any upcoming shows near you. Once you’ve found a show date, pick how many tickets you’re looking to buy and choose a seat using the interactive venue map. Once you’re happy with your choices, hit “checkout,” and your tickets will be secured. When you get to Sombr’s concert, heed his advice: you’re not too cool to jump.