When Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour was announced, Bay Area fans were understandably disappointed — there were no local shows. It left them no choice but to catch one of the other stops, including the five shows slated to kick off the tour at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, more than 400 miles away.
And thus began my journey. As I boarded my flight at SFO on Monday afternoon, it was clear that this medium-sized aircraft had partially turned into a charter for the kickoff show of Beyoncé’s tour. Seated in front of me were two sisters, dressed in Cowboy Carter merch, making small talk with another fan headed to the show and giving me a nod of approval as I walked past in my denim trench.
Across the aisle from me was Nikol Neiger, a San Francisco resident travelling to see Beyoncé in concert for the first time. Having recently had a daughter of her own, she told me her favorite song on Cowboy Carter is “Protector,” a sentimental ode to motherhood. “It really hits,” she said, letting me know that she’d most likely tear up if Beyoncé ended up performing it.
I made my way to the stadium at around 6 p.m. for the show and took my seat between a fan who’d traveled all the way from Brazil, and another who’d made the trip down from Napa.
Beyoncé hit the stage shortly after 8 p.m. with album opener “Ameriican Requiem,” which provided a thesis statement for the first act of the show, if not the entire concert. Minutes later, there was something slightly discomforting about hearing her sing a shortened version of the national anthem and “Freedom,” her 2016 hit that famously soundtracked Kamala Harris’ failed 2024 presidential campaign — like combining a holiday party with a funeral, though it was effective.
