Rex Orange County’s “Finally: A Theater Tour” in Oakland, CA

This past Thursday, singer-songwriter Rex Orange County performed at the Paramount Theater in Oakland, CA as part of a three night residency at the art deco concert hall. The British musician Alexander O’Connor embarked on his “FINALLY: A Theater Tour” across North America this October, following the release of his fifth studio album The Alexander Technique.

Given that The Alexander Technique is one of his most personal albums, where he explores ongoing struggles with mental health and addiction, the intimate theater helped Rex create an intimate setting for the show. He started the show sitting in a doctor’s office, following the monologue of the album’s opening track “Alexander.” This song follows a spoken-word narrative about Rex’s thoughts during a doctor visit for his chronic back pain, which he reluctantly comes to accept is a manifestation of his mental health struggles.

By the end of the opening track, the crowd was already on the edge of their seats before Rex welcomed everyone to stand before the next track, “Therapy.” He made his way down to the floor aisles, while directly conversing with the crowd as he sang “Welcome, welcome / Make yourself at home and take a seat / I’ll be your host for the next hour / So get as comfy as can be.” There were many charming moments in the crowd, as he exchanged high-fives and hugs with many lucky fans.

The curtain lifted as he made his way back to the stage to perform “Guitar Song”, revealing the set which was the inside of a japanese-style home. A sliding door in the back then opened to a garden in the early Spring. This door would open and close throughout the show, showing the garden going through the different seasons from Spring to Winter.

The energy in the room shifted with “2008,” a nostalgic but catchy and upbeat track from his new album. There was a magnetism between Rex and his fans, as he made his rounds across the stage stopping to interact with fans in the front row, giving them all a special moment to remember. 

Rex followed with “The Shade,” a fan favorite hit song from his last album Who Cares?, gradually adding in his older songs into the setlist. He later took us back in time with a song from his 2017 album Apricot Princess, “Happiness.”

One highly anticipated part of the shows on this tour are the surprise songs he does each night, where Rex has taken fan requests from TikTok posts, and sometimes requests from fans during the show. He performed a cover of “Basket Case” by Green Day, one of his all-time favorite bands, which he has only done once before on the tour. The crowd loved this cover, and everyone belted along to the nostalgic rock tune. 

Rex kept everyone on their feet when he followed this with two of his hit songs “Sunflower” and “Best Friend,” two of the most anticipated songs of the night. During “Best Friend,” Rex created a wholesome moment when he asked the audience to put their phones away for the second part of the song. He stated that if no one records, this will forever be a moment just between us.

He continued the show with another fan favorite, “Television/ So Far So Good,” followed by new songs such as “The Table” and “Finally” before leaving the stage. He emerged back on stage for the inevitable encore to his 2022 song “AMAZING,” before ending the show with his more recent viral hit “Pluto Projector.” This tour was a must-see for his fans, and it lived up to my expectations after seeing Rex live on previous tours in 2020 and 2022. Rex guided the audience through an emotional journey with a carefully curated setlist, thoughtful set design, and ability to create an intimate setting with many fan interactions throughout the show.

Check out the full photo gallery here.