Some still affectionately refer to him as Filthy Frank or Pink Guy – but a rebranding so massive has turned the fabled YouTube creator into one of the most well-known R&B artists of the last decade. Though better known now as Joji, the musician has pulled in billions of streams across platforms alongside a major reconsideration in the type of content he wished to create.

I remember it – back in 2017 when Joji first launched his career as a musician. The nature of his prior content on YouTube was… comical, to say the least, and so when he released the absolutely gut-wrenching single “Will He,“ his fans, including myself, were floored. Joji has made incredible strides since then, no doubt growing in his identity as an artist. I had always wanted to see Joji in concert, but every time I looked at tickets or made plans, something ended up falling through. I was ecstatic to receive the email that I’d been approved for a photo pass.

The day of, I ran into a couple of obstacles – like realizing that I hadn’t seen my wallet for the last week… and I definitely needed that to get into the venue. I figured I’d set out for the DMV, cross my fingers, and hope that some temporary credentials and/or my birth certificate would be enough. Right as I was smiling wide for my new driver’s license photo, I got a text message from someone at home that they’d found my wallet in the garage. I made a stop at home to pick up my wallet, visited my local camera store to pick up some gear I needed, then headed north to Charlotte.

My second and third obstacles involved parking and finding the “Media/Employee” entrance to the venue. I surrendered to the $20 parking garage fee and eventually did find what I thought was the correct entrance. There were two other photographers standing and waiting in the same area. We briefly greeted, then waited… and waited… until it was past 7 o’clock. About 10 minutes after, I understood there may be something we were missing, so I volunteered myself to get some help. I found a nearby employee of the Spectrum Center who kindly informed us that we had to continue walking up to the ramp and to the left to the security door, which was conveniently hidden by a large brick wall.

We were in, albeit a few minutes late. As we waited for someone to come and escort us to the stage for the first opener, I realized that one of the two photographers I was buddied with looked familiar, and upon exchanging socials, I realized I’d already met her at the Quarters show I’d shot a few months prior! This seems to be a trend now – running into local photographers. I can’t complain; I love seeing the friendly faces.

Corbin was the first opener, and I think he was a great way to ease into the night. He had this calm, dazed demeanor on stage, and a wonderful voice. He played a handful of songs, and for each one, he appeared so immersed in the music he was playing. The sound was laid-back, a melty mix of R&B and rap.

The second opener was Nate Sib, a pretty steep change from the chill, lo-fi vibe we received from Corbin. He was upbeat – the sound and stage presence were energetic; in fact, it was hard to capture a photo where he wasn’t moving. His voice reminded me of a 2000’s or 2010’s Justin Bieber, but the backing tracks were extremely dissimilar – Nate Sib definitely had hyperpop/electropop elements in his music, which I am a huge fan of. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to his first couple songs and found them blasting through my car radio as I was driving home.

Joji was so much more than I ever expected. I went into his performance pretty blind, save for a bit of research on the setlist so I could be somewhat prepared. The number one thing that stuck out to me about this performance was the incredible stage production. It was immaculate – screens engulfed the center of the stage in something like a donut shape. In the middle, a “road” protruded, which was really a platform extending from the backmost point of the stage toward the crowd. Every physical stage component was dynamic, and the visuals were incredible.

I felt that his setlist was very well-rounded; it was a generous 28 songs, which I initially thought sounded a tad excessive until I remembered that Joji songs are notoriously short. The buildup to the walkout was intense, and it segwayed right into “Pixelated Kisses” – one of his grittiest and grungiest-sounding beats. It made for an excellent opener. The energy was there right away with the crowd, and it did not take a bit of coaxing from Joji.

Joji seems to enjoy setting his performances apart from other musicians during his shows with a comedic aspect. Just as I was starting to think that his stage demeanor was a little reserved in comparison to previous performances, a robot – yes, a real and very advanced robot – appeared on stage before me. Nothing could have prepared me for the Fortnite dances it began to perform alongside Joji as he sang the intro to “Last of a Dying Breed.” His ability to integrate such a deeply seated feeling of sadness into his music, while still making everyone laugh at his concerts, is one of my favorite things about him.

The night was tied off with an alternative version of “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK,” the song that prompted his mainstream explosion back in 2018. I could feel the joy emanating from those around me; my entire section was standing, swaying, singing. This is by far the most wonderful experience I’ve had shooting a show, and I look forward to seeing Joji again in the future.