The tour began in early August and saw the eclectic singer-songwriter visiting Kuala Lumpur, Malang in East Java, Yogyakarta, Surakarta in Central Java and Makassar in South Sulawesi. It was held to commemorate his eight-year journey in the music industry, which began when he released the song “Sewindu” (Eight Years) in 2011. 

Wearing all black for the Jakarta leg of the tour, Tulus performed with a full orchestra and kicked off the show with the grand “Baru” (New) and heartfelt “Gajah” (Elephant), taken from his second album, Gajah.

“I’m nervous,” the 32-year-old singer said. He then asked his fans, known as Teman Tulus (Friends of Tulus), to “prepare your energy, voice and heart to help me sing whichever song you know.”

His wish was granted as more than 4,000 concert-goers sang along to every word of his popular songs, such as “Sepatu” (Shoes), “Teman Hidup” (Life Partner) and “Monokrom”. In the whole two hours of the show, he took the time to jest with the audience and share stories of his songs.

A surprising moment occurred when the singer called out a fan’s name.

“To Shalita Anindya, I want you to meet me backstage after the show,” he said. 

Nonton konser pertamanya @tulusm masih bisa foto bareng, sekarang? Susyaah, sedih akutuu harus beli tiket MnG nya dulu..tak apa ya bang yg penting besok bisa nonton konsernya aja udah seneng 😍 pic.twitter.com/SSoG5YTfSA

— shalita anindya (@shalitaanindya) October 31, 2019

A tweet posted by Shalita on Thursday showed a picture of her and the singer. The caption read, “I was still able to take a picture together when @tulusm held his first concert. Now? It’s not as easy, plus I have to buy a meet-and-greet ticket. But it’s okay, to be able to see his show tomorrow is already a delight.”

Speaking to The Jakarta Post after the concert, Shalita couldn’t hide her excitement.

“I cried when he called out my name. I was so happy to take a picture and chat again with him even if it was only for a short time. I think he really appreciates his fans,” she said. 

As the Jakarta show’s title suggested, Tulus was not the only performer at the event. Before the show, the audience was given the special treat of singers Andien, RAN and Glenn Fredly performing on stage. Other acts included Kunto Aji, Petra Sihombing and Project Pop group, who later in the evening also performed alongside Tulus.

In each performance with guest singers, Tulus shared his memories of how they first met. Andien remembered that she first called Tulus seven years ago and how he wrote a song titled “Belahan Jantungku” (Half of My Heart) for her in only 15 minutes.

In a media session prior to the show, Tulus said: “In the eight years of my music career, so many things had been made possible for me and my music thanks to collaborations [with fellow musicians and singers]. That’s why the festival is a great representation of my music career.”

Read also: Tulus celebrates eight-year career with nationwide tour

The night was still young as Tulus said he would sing more songs and take a request from the audience. He went on with an emotional performance of “Bunga Tidur” (Dream) and a special performance of “Adu Rayu” (Wooing Match) with Glenn Fredly and Yovie Widianto.

“Thank you, friends, for coming here tonight. Thank you for the appreciation,” said Tulus before closing the show with the apt song, “Sewindu”.

The singer, whose last album (Monokrom) was released in 2016, plans to make new music after the tour.

“I really miss recording,” he said.