Oct 4, 2023 | ktru
By Rachel Bui
Lil Yachty is currently embarking on his Field Trip tour around North America. With his latest album exploring new territories for him musically, it was evident that it would be an interesting experience to see how he would combine the tracks from his latest album with the rest of his discography for the set.
The set started off with his live band, The Silver Sisters (an all-black-and-female group of musicians), coming on stage before him. He introduced the band almost right off the bat before starting his first song. I couldn’t help but notice the amount of respect he expressed towards these women, and he conveyed a sense of reverence for those providing a foundation for his tour overall.
The way that Yachty structured his set was to bookend the second act (filled with his hits) with his most experimental tracks to date for the first and third act. The performance was a blend of effortlessly cool attitude and hyped energy, two qualities juxtaposed within his act. Overall the execution of his show was seamless, a great feat that most likely wasn’t easy to achieve. The young rapper has demonstrated that he is not limited to one particular genre, and it will be interesting to see what he comes up with next.
Sep 16, 2023 | ktru
By Rachel Bui
When I arrived to the venue for the show, the line had spanned the parking lot and was beginning to double on itself, and there was excited chatter in the air. The line ended up being so long that the show was pushed back 20 minutes, just so that everyone could enter the venue and not miss the show. The anticipation was infectious, and I knew it was going to be a good night.
The show opened with Jason Richardson, an impressive metal guitar soloist. His presence was so commanding, I honestly have forgotten if there was anyone else on stage with him, or if he was playing with a backtrack. Though there was no vocals as part of his set, I was still intrigued. Since the concert I’ve added him to my playlist, and I was glad that he was part of the show.
To those unfamiliar with the band, Dethklok started as a fictional band featured in the Adult Swim cartoon, Metalocalypse. Perhaps as a result of this, Dethklok’s performance had a peculiar setup. If you’ve ever been to a Cinefilm concert (the soundtrack is performed live while the film is playing in-sync in the background), then Dethklok’s performance was like the metal version of that. Cartoons played on the screen as the band performed, and the lighting on the band themselves was intentionally dark so that you only see the silouette of the band. As someone who is admittedly not a metalhead, I found myself still entertained by the concept.
Finishing out the night was BABYMETAL, described as a 3-piece “Japanese kawaii metal band.” I enjoyed their act the most, as their lyrics were upbeat and catchy, an interesting foil to the metal track. As they sang and danced across the stage, I was entranced by the production as a whole, from the well-practed choreography to the stabilized vocals to the ever changing light design. Standout hits include “Pa Pa Ya!!” and “Gimme Chocolate!!”
Sep 12, 2023 | ktru
By Rachel Bui
We started out the beginnings of September covering a show at the Beeracks, an unassuming brewery and small venue out in New Haven. Headlining the night was The Inside Out, comprised of James Howard, John Landino, Zach Stout, and Andi Wright. With performances by John DeMarco, Sounds & Scenarios, Valoria, and Fear the Masses, The Inside Out closed out the night at Beeracks with fun and much gusto, despite the pushed back set. With as much energy as they have when they perform, it’s hard not to have fun while dancing along to their music. A highlight of their set was their latest single, “Mr. Arrogant,” a fun, punchy indie track to help close out the end of summer.
Jun 19, 2023 | ktru
By Rachel Bui
Photo by @HenryHwu
New York City’s Governors Ball (Gov Ball for short) returned this year with a new location – Flushing Meadows Corona Park. This change in venue turned out to be an ideal location: not only was the festival in a proper park (which offered often overlooked benefits like trees and grass to compliment the vibe), it was also located by public transportation, making it more accessible for festival attendees to get to and from the venue. By holding the festival at the park, this allowed some flexibility in the spacing between stages, which wasn’t terrible to trek when traveling between stages for different sets. And with a lineup so strong, there was a lot of traveling between stages rather than camping at certain stages.
Another thing to note besides the music was diverse food options for everyone. A particular vendor to highlight is Everything Legendary, a plant based food company founded by Duane Cheers. The company had previously been on Shark Tank and secured funding from Mark Cuban, and has partnered with Live Nation to serve as a vendor at many of its locations. Flavorful, I can hardly tell it’s vegan.
The weekend was opened by Awfbeat, a fresh-faced duo who are “hip-hop inspired” when it comes to their music. As two young men who don’t take themselves too seriously, it was entertaining and fun to watch them perform their set.
Rina Sawayama was one of my favorite performers of the weekend. A triple threat (can act, sing, and dance), she utilized all of her talents during her set, creating a theatrical performance. It was mesmerizing to watch her switch between flirty, vulnerable, awkward, and confident within her set while belting out her lyrics.
Other highlights of the festival aside from the headliners (Lizzo, Odesza, and Kendrick Lamar) (in no particular order) include KayCyy, Saba, Giveon, Ari Lennox, Remi Wolf, aespa, and Lil Nas X.
all photos by Rachel Bui except where noted
May 23, 2023 | ktru
By Rachel Bui
The launch of Head in the Clouds NYC started off soaking wet, but despite the potential for the rain to complicate logistics, the festival still ran smoothly. The queue for entry was long despite the downpour, and many people were waiting in cold rain to see the strong lineup, from EDM to rap to K-Pop.
Forest Hill Stadium had an interesting venue layout where the 88Rising stage (main stage) and the Honda Double Happiness stage were relatively close together, but this didn’t pose a problem due to no overlap in the schedule, so acts weren’t competing for attention, sound-wise. For those who attended Head in the Clouds LA 2022, it was evident how strong the lineup was, considering that main stage acts from the previous festival were now on the Double Happiness stage. And with how close the stages were to each other, it was easy for festival goers to travel back and forth between the stages to see everyone, if they so wished.
An underrated act that I enjoyed was singer-songwriter Paravi – despite having one leg in a cast, she exuded lots of energy and personality, a bright sunshine character amidst a rainy day. Her husky voice was like a warm hug, delivering a heartfelt performance that offset the drizzling conditions for a little while. A thread that ran through her setlist was that of an Asian American woman honoring both the cultures she grew up in as well as her heritage. While some people may think this is an overdone storyline, I believe the reality is that this narrative still rings true for many people to this day, and I’m thankful that she told her story this way. I’m hoping that she and 88rising will continue to have a flourishing relationship so that she can perform again at Head in the Clouds in the future.
Thai rapper/singer Milli was part of Head in the Clouds LA 2022, and it was a joy to watch her perform again in New York. With dancers to match her energy, she performed her hits like “Sad Aerobic” and “Mirror Mirror.” Her performance was hotter than last year’s cheeky set, though she still touched on her playful side by ending her set with “Mango Sticky Rice,” a nod to the moment she went viral for last year at Coachella for eating mango sticky rice on stage.
Beabadoobee has been on tour with Taylor Swift over the last few weeks, so it was great for KTRU to see her again at this festival. Singing tracks like “See You Soon” (a favorite of hers, she confessed beforehand), “The Perfect Pair,” and “Glue Song,” the indie singer demonstrated with her soft, almost wispy voice still has a strong presence in the industry.
One particular act that had most people buzzed with anticipation for day 1 was ITZY, a 5-person K-Pop girl group that is popular worldwide. What was fun to watch with the girls was they treated their slot like a mini K-Pop concert, squeezing in time for games that the members played.
Another act that had people humming with excitement was XG, a 7-person girl group based in South Korea. Their North American debut was treated like a showcase, with different subunits within the group showing off their skills as either rappers or singers. They would be remiss to not perform “Left Right,” a song that was remixed with Jackson Wang and Ciara at Coachella this year.
Other notable acts include Wolftyla, whose silky voice started Day 2 strong, Loren (South Korean alternative rock singer), whose self-deprecating humor won many people’s hearts;, P-Lo, whose hiphop set brought probably some of the most hype to the Double Happiness stage; and Atarashii Gakko!, whose stunts while performing never ceases to amaze me. (Disclaimer: due to an injury, I wasn’t able to see DPR Live + DPR Ian or Niki, so I wasn’t able to review them).
With another debut of the Head in the Clouds series closing this weekend out strong, I’m hoping that 88rising will continue to hold this festival annually in New York for years to come.
Photo by @Bryan.Kwon.Photos
May 10, 2023 | ktru
By Imogen Brown
Yves Tumor is an explosive force. Leather-clad and enigmatic, Tumor strutted onto the stage of Warehouse Live on April 27 to deliver a stunning, powerful performance bathed in blue and red light. Tumor’s Houston stop of their “To Spite or Not to Spite” tour left audiences’ ears ringing for an eternity.
Tumor opened with “God Is A Circle,” the first song on their latest album “Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds).” With meticulous breaths and an unshakeable three-piece ensemble, Tumor’s passionate performance was tight, coordinated and precise. Chris Greatti tore up the lead guitar while Gina Ramirez and Rhys Hastings plowed through bass and drums. At one point, Tumor jumped into the crowd, prompting deafening audience screams.
“Echolalia” was Tumor’s next standout track. A pumping, sweaty dance party, “Echolalia” electrified the room. Just when I thought I couldn’t jump anymore, Tumor wailed “helloooo?” whipping out a steel double mic contraption on “Operator.” Though their set generally centered around hits from the newest album, Tumor also included older classics like “Jackie” and “Kerosene,” which had the crowd teeming with energy. Towards the end of the show, I was even surprised to find myself sucked into the vibrant, thumping mosh pit.
Tumor compounds the stylistic excitement of glam metal with technical otherworldly talent. Their driving basslines, show-stealing guitar licks, glitter-covered face and outrageous voice make for a singularly awe-inspiring performance.
May 4, 2023 | ktru
By Keegan Pierce
On our way into the Lightning Bolt show, we passed someone who told us, “You’d better hurry up; they’re tearing down the walls in there!” (We were admittedly running a little late.)
We rushed in wondering how much of the set we’d missed, if the walls would still standing, and where the tallboys were at. However, the enduring question of the Lightning Bolt set was, “how are there only two people up on stage?” You only see Brian Chippendale pulverizing the drums with a contact mic held to his face by a mask and Brian Gibson’s bass tuned in fifths with banjo strings up top, yet you hear thunderous crashes and torrential noise as if a tempest were on stage. A noise rock band that we love playing at the station, Lightning Bolt has been playing since 1994 honing their unique mixture of drum and bass. Their origins are house parties, playing right in the middle of whatever crowd they are bringing to a boil, and, while they’ve now climbed up on stage, they’re still completely in tune with the discord they cause. We had headaches on the way home, but we loved it and so did the rest of the crowd. The pits were unlike the testosterone fueled fireworks at punk shows and more like ritualistic dances around a bonfire.
You are never comfortable or completely in tune with Lightning Bolt, but it is breathtaking to see those two dudes tear down a stage.
Photo courtesy of Lightning Bolt.
Apr 30, 2023 | ktru
By Rachel Bui
thuy has hit the road once again, this time as support for Ella Mai. KTRU got a preview of what’s coming to Houston, having attended the opening of the tour in Wallingford, CT.
She performed some of her hits like “Girls Like Me Don’t Cry” and “in my bag,” as well as “my universe.” If her headlining tour didn’t prove her star power before, her performance as an opener for Mai did – her performance was strong, and she interacted with the crowd like a natural. I’m sure she left an impact for the audience to remember her after that night, and it was a pleasure to watch her again.
thuy is an R&B artist from the Bay area, supporting Ella Mai on her “Heart on My Sleeve” tour.
Mar 9, 2023 | ktru
by Rachel Bui
Grammy-nominated and Latin Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Carla Morrison definitely has dedicated fanbase up in Northeast United States. This tour comes as Morrison breaks into the Billboard Hot 100 with collaborative feature on Karol G’s latest album and title track “Mañana Será Bonito.” Knowing how accomplished she is and having interviewed her (see here), I was intrigued and curious to see her perform live.
Morrison’s opening act was sister duo Reyna, a synth-pop/electro-pop act with Latin influence. Their youthful energy served as an interesting foil to Morrison’s emotional maturity, making it feel like I saw two shows that night. I liked how they would quip with the audience and introduce songs by talking about the inspiration behind them (like “a toxic ex”), and I look forward to adding a few of their songs to my playlist.
With a full band accompanying her, she began the night with “Eres Tu,” a fun, light-hearted preview of what the night would offer. Morrison has a voice with such clarity that really hits you in the heart, and her performance was a fantastic blend of catharsis and celebration, as could be observed with how joyous the audience was. The crowd enthusiastically sang along with Carla and frequently expressed their joy with calls of “¡Te amo!” all night. Some even danced out of their seat, and by the end of the night, audience members left their seats to rush to the stage front to dance along with her for her final song, “Diamantes.” Even with a language barrier for me, I felt the sincerity throughout the night whenever she spoke or sang, and I left the venue that night feeling refreshed, optimistic, and eager to write this review.
Mar 7, 2023 | ktru
by Rachel Bui
Whoever crafted the lineup for the New Haven stop of Eric Bellinger’s Obsession Tour had their finger on the pulse of pop culture – all the artists are talented multihyphenates, and the common thread was their R&B discography.
The night at Toad’s Place started with a warmup with Melody Shari. She performed her whole discography – which consists of 2 songs as of the writing of this article. Though it did seem disjointed from the rest of the night’s lineup stylistically and timewise, I still enjoyed her set.
The next performer is not new to the music scene, but hadn’t released her own music until recently. Even if her bright red suit or her signature blue hair didn’t catch your eye, GoGo Morrow’s vocal performance commanded your attention. The songstress struck a nice balance between slow jams and punchy tracks, with energetic backup dancers enhancing the performance. With a long list of accomplishments as a performer under her belt, she’s got the making for a strong artist in wherever she wants to go. I hope to have the privilege to see her live again and see how she grows.
Trevor Jackson brought the heat up a notch from the moment he entered on stage. As if he hadn’t already mesmerized the crowd with his performance, later in the set he jumped the barricade and joined the audience for part of his performance, exciting the crowd with the surprise visit. With how well known he is, it was refreshing to see how much he trusted his audience and rewarded them with his up-close presence.
Before the man of the night came out, a crew set up three giant picture frames as props on stage – perhaps as a nod to his affinity for trilogies? The setup had a nice framing effect of the three musical elements on stage: the DJ, the guitarist, and Bellinger himself. Bellinger has such a rich discography to pull from, and he made great use of it when executing his setlist. Starting off the night with “Obsession,” a track from his latest album, 1(800)HIT-EAZY: Line 2, he weaved his way through his discography, performing songs from his discography as early as The Rebirth.
Initially when I saw that Bellinger was coming to New Haven to perform at the local dance club/small concerts venue, I admit that I was a little perplexed, considering how big of a name he is. After seeing what the team did with the show, I’m beginning to understand the decision to choose a smaller venue in order to create an intimate version of a tour stop. From the get-go fans had connected with Bellinger, matching his energy and singing the verses word-for-word, even on tracks that were only recently released. Until the very end he had his audience enthralled. It truly was a treat to watch an artist who has perfected his craft early in his career, and yet he will continue to soar. Not even the sky is the limit for Eric Bellinger.
When I arrived to the venue for the show, the line had spanned the parking lot and was beginning to double on itself, and there was excited chatter in the air. The line ended up being so long that the show was pushed back 20 minutes, just so that everyone could enter the venue and not miss the show. The anticipation was infectious, and I knew it was going to be a good night.
