I’m not sure if a Tuesday night Dallas has ever been more enthralling. That’s when the hugely anticipated “Petals to Thorns” Tour kicked off night two of its United States segment at the Echo Music Lounge. It seemed only right to start things off in The Lone Star State. Fresh off the heels of his Europe tour, Texas born teenager David Burke — professionally known as D4vd — was back in his old southern stomping grounds, not too far from his Houston roots where the tour officially kicked off earlier this week.
Avid guitarist, singer-songwriter Scott James offered support and kicked off the evening. Melodic chords and mellow croons rang throughout the music hall, fully captivating everyone in attendance. He truly set the tone for the night ahead with emotive, heartfelt lyrics.
D4vd’s viral come-up story is truly awe-inspiring – a true Gen Z fairytale. After the discouragement of facing pings for his music in his gaming videos, he decided to forge his own lane by creating his own tunes. With humble beginnings, he gradually began securing Fortnite montages with his songs, and then, began creating covers that went viral. He started off recording with an iPhone in his sister’s closet with Bandlab. A year later, he has managed to secure an ARIA-Platinum single, Billboard charting, and has toured internationally. With world renowned hits like “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me” the quickly ascending star is already catapulting to incredible heights. All at the age of 18.
Surveying the crowd, you could already see the rising star’s impact taking ahold. Many of the crowdgoers came dressed for the occasion, wearing white button downs smeared with red paint to resemble blood – a nod in towards of the singer’s unique artistic expression for Romantic Homicide. Moments before the star hit the stage, the eager crowd began to chant his name in unison. When the stage went dark, the uproar felt as though it shook the entire building. Like a spitfire of boundless energy, d4vd ran out onto stage, met with sheer glee and joy by fans. The beloved jam in the gaming community called “You & I” began to play, and the entire crowd began jumping up and down, singing along enthusiastically. The star commanded every inch of the stage and engaged the entire room, all of them matching his enthusiasm and energy.
Knowing the modest beginnings of “Petal to Thorns” made watching the crowd’s reaction and familiarity to every song feel so surreal. It’s a moody cut, with grungy ballads, alt-R&B, emotional slow jams, and even edgy indie songs. It’s an emotional roller coaster filled with incredible range. Seeing it fledged out throughout the evening in a such pure and authentic way, by such a young artist, was impactful.
“Y’all REALLY know the lyrics, that’s so crazy to me!” d4vd exclaimed with fond appreciation. The connection to his fans could be noted during the tender tune, “Here with Me” as it called on their heartstrings, all swaying to and fro as they joined in singing. The genuine lyrics of the punk-pop number “The Bridge,” were also met with resounding participation. During “Don’t Forget About Me,” the hauntingly beautiful yet melancholy emotion of the song engulfed the music hall, as fans became bleary eyed, fixated on the star’s voice.
Throughout the night, d4vd came down from the stage to rock the barricade, took selfies with multiple fans, and did aerial backflips. Finally, the evening came to a climatic close with the seismic TikTok sensation, “Romantic Homicide.” Fans were chomping at the bit to sing along to this one. The gloomy hit has well over 640 million plays on Spotify and counting, and rose on the Billboard charts to 33.
There is so much promise for this young ascending star. Though only in the fledgling era of his career, one could never tell given his stage presence and charisma. His versatility comes naturally and “Petal to Thorns” is an eclectic testament to his ability to freely and effortlessly bend genres. He has already built a genuine fanbase in such a short amount of time, and the connection is all but palpable. That alone is no easy feat. You can tell d4vd has true passion for what he does, and as he continues to touch the lives of others through his musings, he will most assuredly continue his upward trajectory towards greatness.
