DVSN
South Side Ballroom
Dallas, Texas
Photos and Article by Meme Crayton
Daniel Daley, the singer of DVSN, captivated to hearts of everyone present at South Side Ballroom in Dallas Friday night for the Working On My Karma Tour.
The energy was notably chill and serene at the start of the evening. Fans slowly trickled in, a sea of cars swarming the venue even up to minutes before showtime. The general vibe as things began was leisurely and smooth. Couples flirtatiously held hands and kissed, smiled deeply while looking into one another’s eyes. Romance and sensuality oozed throughout the venue as slow jams played in the background – all the perfect catalysts for a promisingly passionate R&B performance.
A large, white division symbol was suspended in the air at the back of the stage. A dj alongside Hollywood Bay Bay surprised the crowd with an appearance to rev up the anticipation. Bay Bay opened the set up with a myriad of throwbacks, and the crowd sang along to all of the hits. With each tune, the crowd became more eager to see their beloved songbird hit the stage.
Finally, the backup singers made their way to the platform as the room became dark. Shrill screams and cries immediately erupted from the crowd. Camera phones were pulled out of pockets and immediately began recording, illuminating the darkness. The live band settled into to position, the intro of “Last Time” began to play. Finally, Daley casually sauntered onto the stage, and the crowd reignited with excitement once again. Rocking a black and white letterman, he commanded the stage as he began his set.
“There’s a barrier between us. I just want to get closer,” the singer said sweetly to the crowd. “Maybe I should bring someone on stage,” Daley teased, much to the delight of the crowd. After many excited onlookers motioned to be let on stage, he coyly let them know that he’d likely be doing so a bit later in the night – but they had no idea they were in for a treat.
As the evening progressed, swooning fans danced and harmonized in unison with Daley to their favorite offerings from Working On My Karma, as well as A Muse In Her Feelings and SEPT 5th, and more. He did not hold back on allowing the crowd to experience a full show, performing all of their new hits in the arsenal, as well as a few early deep cuts for core, longtime fans. Daley showed off his crooning chops throughout it all with effortless riffs, runs and pure vocals that sounded just as good live if not better than recorded.
The singer kept his promise, but pleased fans by overdelivering in a big way. He brought up a group of women on stage that had been selected from the audience. He asked each of them their names, and introduced them to the crowd. Then, the band began to play the viral TikTok song, “Touch It” and the ladies all began to dance along, hitting every move accordingly. While they winded and twisted to the beat of the hit jam, Daniel strolled down the line of women and serenaded each of them, allowing them all to have a special intimate moment all their own.
Following this, there was a bit of a mood switch. “If I Get Caught” was the next tune to play, a song that notably sparked some conversations at the time of its drop as a single last year. Though he did have full crowd participation during this number, Daley made a point to acknowledge the past perceived, “toxicity” of the anthem. With lyrics like, “Charismatic when you got here / you knew about me when you got here / now you trippin’ girl it’s not fair” it has definitely heralded mixed emotions from listeners since its release. He challenged this perception by saying women too have equally toxic anthems, and SZA’s “I HATE U” begins to play. Of course, no one could resist singing along!
Sadly, a disruption did unexpectedly break out between two women in the crowd. There was also separate medical emergency after a fan suddenly passed out, all of which caused a brief pause in the show. Daley was informed of this and handled the ongoing mishaps with grace, and resumed the show once things were settled.
At the end of, “Take It Slow” he offered his own stylized rendition of John Legend’s lyrics, resounding the words in a similar fashion, showing his vocal range and ability. Before performing “Tired,” he searched the crowd to have a fan brought on stage for a solo experience with the singer. One woman’s group of friends immediately pointed her out, beckoning for her to be chosen for the moment. Daley selects her and has her guided to center stage, where she then sits on a chair. From there, the singer begins to perform the number directly to the fan, causing her to blush and smile ear to ear.
Daley later soared into effortless high notes during “What’s Up” that sent the crowd into raving fits, especially the ladies. And yes, men were definitely cheering him on as well. One of his singers also joined in with powerful and captivating backup vocals, and he walked over to ensure the crowd could directly witness the magnitude of her voice.
As the end of the evening approached, the crowd was yearning for more melodies. Daley initially protested, saying that if they stayed much later past the cut off time, they could be fined. Finally, he obliged the wishes of his fans and closed the evening out with a shortened version of “The Line,” – although he prefaced that it would be a slightly shortened version. Ultimately, the crowd was more than satisfied with this, and began to sway in unison to the beat.
A sea of applause ensued as the singer began to make his leave. Before departing, he gave special thanks to his band and back up singers, and let his fans know the deep importance of this tour to him.
He mentioned the beauty of the life applications of the group’s moniker – “DVSN is about being the divided from the rest. It’s about doing your own thing, and having your own vibe, on your own time” and it’s clear that this is what sets them apart from the rest.
We got to hang out with Daley after the show to ask more questions about the tour, the album, and their innovative tattoo experience that the group is providing while on tour. We cannot wait to share this interview with you all soon!
Daley serenaded eager fans in Dallas with a stacked setlist, listed below.
SETLIST
1. Last Time
2. Don’t Take Your Love
3. With Me
4. Bring It
5. Freak Me (Silk cover)
6. Memories
7. Mood
8. A Muse
9. P.O.V.
10. Greedy
11. Too Deep
12. Flawless (Do It Well Pt. 3)
13. Do It Well
14. Touch It (Do It Well Pt. 4)
15. If I Get Caught
16. I Hate U (SZA cover)
17. Get Even
18. Between Us
19. Nuh Time / Tek Time
20. Hatin
21. I Don’t Wanna Know (Mario Winans cover)
22. Take It Slow
23. Dangerous City
24. Tired
25. Sept. 5th
26. Kiss It Better (Rihanna cover)
27. Body Smile
28. What’s Up
29. Think About Me
30. Hallucinations
31. Conversations in a Diner
32. …Again
33. The Line
