Frank Ocean - The Wiltern - 7/17/12

Timothy Norris

Frank Ocean
The Wiltern
7/17/12

See Also:
*Our slideshow from the performance
*Why Is Frank Ocean's Coming Out a Big Deal, But Not Syd the Kyd's?

Since nobody's talking about much else on the Internet right now, we won't bore you with too much background on Frank Ocean. He's a 24-year-old R&B singer aligned with Odd Future who lives in L.A., just released his first official album on Def Jam, and recently came out of the closet, more or less. Whereas at one time that may have been career suicide, it now looks like the savviest career move imaginable.

His new work, Channel Orange, is getting great reviews, and for what was essentially his hometown coming out party last night the line wrapped around the Wiltern. Ocean already had a strong fan base here. But the ticket prices for his show -- which ran for $150 to $300 on Craigslist -- were evidence of his superstar turn.

Timothy Norris

And you know what? All of the recent adoration proved to be well-deserved. Throughout his hour and a half long set, Ocean proved himself to have more than talent, but a unique vision and a knack for candor. (Also, Drake was there, so that's something.)

Ocean hit the stage just before 10, starting off with an intimate cover of Prince's "When You Were Mine" and a stripped down version of "Summer Remains."

But with "Thinkin Bout You" his four-piece band joined him on stage, and the atmosphere quickly turned electric. A sea of camera phones lit up and screams from the audience rang out, as they would throughout the night. Pausing between his new single and fan-favorite "Novacane," Ocean explained he'd been in a car wreck earlier in the evening. Seemingly unshaken, he laughed it off: "It's all on Instagram."

On "Thinkin Bout You" and "Novacane" in particular, Ocean really displayed his prowess. For the former he showed off an immaculate falsetto. The screams from the crowd barely gave him a moment to express to his fondness for L.A. "It's where I fell in love," he explained. "It's where I had my heart broken." This was the closest he came to acknowledging his earth-shaking announcement earlier in the month.

After an excellent rendition of the Pharell-produced "Sweet Life," Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt joined Ocean onstage for Channel Orange standout "Super Rich Kids." It's perhaps the best piece of art concerning dejected youth since the movie Kids, and it clearly struck a nerve with the crowd. Most everyone seemed to know the words, even though the album's only been out for a week.