Despite hailing from London, singer-songwriterSam Smithtook a moment early in their performance at San Francisco’s Chase Center to acknowledge the occasion as a homecoming of sorts.

“I first came here to San Francisco when I was 20 years old,” Smith told the crowd Monday, Aug. 28. “I was a very confused queer kid. This city made me feel so at home when I was younger.”

Reflecting on a walk along Castro Street earlier in the day, Smith, now 31, shared what it meant to see their name on a local landmark.

“I saw the ‘Gloria’ tour poster under the cinema, and it just made me feel so thankful to you for having me back after all these years,” they said.

Smith is not exaggerating, as their “Gloria” tour stop at Chase Center represents the Oscar-winning artist’s first headlining appearance in San Francisco since 2018. In the intervening years, Smith’s career has reached new heights: They became the first nonbinary solo artist to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Unholy,” a collaboration with Kim Petras, who simultaneously became the first transgender solo artist to achieve the same milestone. In anotherhistory-making moment, the track earned the two a win for best pop duo/group performance at the 2023 Grammy Awards.

Following a show at Oakland Arena the night before, Smith, who uses they/them pronouns, showed no signs of fatigue. Resplendent in a bejeweled corset over a dress shirt, black tie and gold lamé pants, Smith began the evening with 2015’s “Stay With Me” — sung while standing atop a massive golden statue of Aphrodite.

Opting for the extraordinary centerpiece depicting the Greek goddess of love was a fitting choice for the five-time Grammy winner. An artist known for their singular voice and piercing, lovelorn balladry, Smith’s celebration of self-acceptance and queer joy appeared to resonate deeply with the San Francisco crowd.

“That was sensational. I’ll be floating the whole drive home,” concertgoer Michael Blake, 29, gushed after the show before heading back to Petaluma. “Totally worth it. The outfits alone!”

Indeed, Smith’s fashion was consistently top-notch, from the oversized pink feather coat they donned for “I’m Not Here to Make Friends” to the revealing ensemble of fishnets, black boots and latex they wore for an erotically charged cover of Madonna’s “Human Nature.”

But the most apropos item of clothing Smith wore on Monday night was a custom-made, bedazzled Golden State Warriors jersey, complete with their name on the back. Decked out in the team’s attire at the home of the NBA champs, Smith performed a striptease to Donna Summer’s classic 1976 hit “I Feel Love,” before flinging their jersey off the stage for a lucky fan.

The energy in that moment was built upon the scintillating opening set of Smith’s frequent collaborator, Jessie Reyez. Before Smith even hit their first note, the Canadian singer-songwriter had already worked Chase Center into a tizzy, displaying a ferocious blend of talent and confidence as she shouted, “I wrote this s—!” while dancing along to the 2018 chart-topper “One Kiss” by Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa. With a brief 30-minute performance, Reyez made a strong case to be an arena headliner herself in the years to come.

Returning to duet with Smith for their “Gloria” collaborations, “Gimme” and “Perfect,” Reyez offered perhaps the most memorable visual of the night with a masterful display of upside-down twerking while balanced against the Aphrodite statue. If set pieces could blush, one imagines the deity would shine bright red in bashful admiration.

For fan Kayla Clark, the moment was motivation to showcase her own moves.

“I was doing my best to keep up,” the 34-year-old San Franciscan said with a laugh. “But I’d say the right people were onstage. That was truly so beautiful.”

Zack Ruskin is a freelance writer.