Even if you’re never seen Craig David perform—or heard of the early 2000s R&B singer-songwriter—you may still enjoy knocking back his signature sip-gulp-sip combo of silver tequila and pineapple juice when he comes to the city on Monday.
The popular U.K. performer and former Miami party boy is passing through San Francisco as part of his 7 Days Commitment Tour—his first U.S. tour with a live band in nearly two decades. He’ll be performing at the Masonic; his eponymous drink should be orderable at most San Francisco bars.
According to David, you drink half the pineapple juice—but don’t swallow it. Follow that up quickly with the full tequila shot. “Then the real magic is that you have seconds, milliseconds, to get to the other half of the pineapple juice in your mouth to make the whole thing feel so smooth,” said David in a video interview with The Standard.
David said he invented the drink during his Miami party days. And even though that phase of his life is over, his upcoming tour has a celebratory vibe. David turns 43 on May 5, and while he plans to prioritize his performances—getting enough sleep and resting his voice—it’s very possible that you’ll spot him around town.
“This whole tour is like an extended birthday celebration,” David said. “When I get to San Francisco, I just want to be really present, to be like, ‘OK, right now I'm feeling this. Let me act upon it.’”
The singer, who is known for sultry classics like “7 Days” and “Fill Me In,” as well as for his viral 2024 Wes Nelson collaboration “Abracadabra,” spoke to The Standard from his studio in London, which is decked out with a fish tank, purple lighting and nearly a dozen photographs of idyllic, white-sand beaches.
Nonetheless, he’s prepared for San Francisco’s occasionally foggy weather. “Any sun that comes shining through, you take it, right?”
And Monday’s show isn’t David’s first rodeo in San Francisco. He shared fond memories of performing at Slim’s, which closed down in 2020 after 30 years in the business. “You always go away with memories of how the show was, and for me, it was wicked.”
Still, he’s got some things to learn about the city—and its allegiance to tech. For instance, he “hasn’t used ChatGPT at all,” though he is interested in the potential interplay between humans and machines. By way of example, he likens the relationship to a dance that, like his favorite drink, requires some technique.
“The dance has to be nice. You put your right foot forward, and I'll put my left, and we can just play.”
Tickets are still available for David’s show, starting at $53.