The home stretch of Ro James’ XIX Tour, presented by Revolt, made its way to The Promontory on Thursday (March 9), packing the venue with fans who were determined to bare the Chicago cold in an entry line that stretched beyond outside.

The show featured an impressive display from tour mate Kevin Ross, who infused the intimate venue with an R&B vibe.

James’ entrance to the stage, flanked by a live band, was greeted with screams from the ladies and cheerful applause from the gentleman in attendance. The singer immediately showed a command of the stage as he launched into his heralded El Dorado.

For unfamiliar fans, Ro broke down the meaning of the tour and his album’s title. By utilizing roman numerals, XIX refers to 19, an age that the rising star says everything began for him.

“First love and heartbreak,” James shared with the packed audience. “The first song I ever wrote at 19 years old. This marks a beginning for me.”

In reference to his album, “El Dorado” carries its name because the singer once received a classic Cadillac as a gift from his father.

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— RoJamesXIX (@RoJamesXIX) March 10, 2017

There was no shortage of offerings from that album as he touched on the entire project to the delight of the fans. After opening, James used his “I’m Sorry (Interlude)” to throw a lob to “Everything,” performing it with such energy and vocal enthusiasm that everyone in the room could tell it resonates in his spirit.

The mood doesn’t stay somber for long as an a capella rendition of “Already Knew That” segued into a more traditional version invoking a collective bounce from the audience as they raised of phones to make sure Snapchat captured the moment. The run of the stacked album continued with “El Dorado” and “Holy Water” before the artist bared his truth of inner struggles with drugs and alcohol abuse, his favorite being Jack Daniels, and living his dream of having a successful album and gracing the stage that night.

Treating day one fans, Ro breaks into “Lisa,” from his Jack EP, to bring up the steam of the room with every vocally exclamatory lyric of “But she ain’t take the dick like you do.” Another level of musical intoxication is reached with “Burn Slow” before the climax of his biggest hit to date “Permission,” which brought James into the crowd to dance with women, hug others and never miss a note while singing. What’s the best way to follow up all of that? An encore of “Last Cigarette.”

The buzz of the crowd that filed out of the venue was a reflection of what was offered on stage; strong vocals, tons of crowd interaction and a massive stage presence. For Ro James, his first headlining tour appeared to be a trip around the block. Familiar with who he is and confident in his moment, the “rookie” carries the performance of a seasoned vet, a trait that will suit his future efforts well.