Oct 22, 2023 | ktru
By Sindhuja Darisipudi and Harshitha Pelaprolu
Following almost two years touring, Holden S. Jaffe, better known as Del Water Gap, returned to Houston for the second solo show on his I Miss You Already + I Haven't Left Yet (IMYA+IHLY) tour only two weeks after the album's release. Playing at Warehouse Live's intimate 450 person capacity studio, Jaffe imbued the room with his vivacious energy for an unforgettable show.
The show opened with a contrasting but complementary tempo, with opener Kristiane, alongside her bassist Kelsey, delivering soft indie pop reminiscent of Gracie Abrams and Clairo. Highlighted by her newest album's lead single "Wish I Could Be Your Girl," Kristiane's set cultivated a comforting and welcoming atmosphere.
Del Water Gap's set bursted with energy from the start, beginning with "NFU" off his new album. Strong lighting flooded the stage and set the tone for the electric spirit that came with the show that followed. The rest of the set was composed of songs both from IMYA+IHLY and from parts of his older discography, all of which were sonically complimentary, so no energy was lost in transitions. The backing tracks throughout the show were immersive and infused the room with energy, all without being overwhelming or drowning out the artist's crisp and captivating vocals. There were also several moments in which the band was able to stand out with solos and riffs, creating a sound unique from the album as heard via streaming. Jaffe's energy throughout the show was entirely met by the crowd's ardent singing and dancing. Throughout the first portion of the set, upbeat songs were punctuated by softer ones, each flowing seamlessly into the other despite the difference in sound.
A little over halfway through the show, Jaffe played "Beach House," marking a transition into a continuous set of upbeat songs. The artist later shared that this song was his favorite to play on tour, which was evident in the energy he brought to the stage during its performance. This second act was accentuated with a fan favorite "Perfume,” where Jaffe joined the crowd to dance, along with two lead singles off IMYA+IHLY, "All We Ever Do is Talk" and "Coping On Unemployment.” For an encore, Jaffe first played a serene "We Will Never Be Like Anybody Else," slowing the pace of the show one last time to focus attention on beguiling vocals, gentle music, and the intimacy of the setting. The show ended with his breakout single "Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat," reestablishing the same electric and dynamic energy that the show began with.
Alongside an enveloping sonic experience, Jaffe curated a unique visual experience as he supplemented standard concert lighting and fog with a set consisting of an old CRT TV, rotary phone, and old fashioned nightstand clock. Throughout the set, the TV was lit with visuals that Jaffe had released alongside IMYA+IHLY. Most notable were the "Quilt of Steam" visualizer and several music videos from throughout his career, all of which are evocative of old footage taken from a coming of age film.
Del Water Gap cultivated an extremely unique visual, sonic, and social experience throughout his show, culminating in a performance guaranteed to please any indie rock or indie pop fan. Jaffe demonstrated not only an ability to produce exceptional music in his genre, but also to create a truly engaging and vibrant experience.
Oct 22, 2023 | ktru
By Alexa Scott
There are few things that bring me as much joy than ACL Music Fest in the fall. The feeling of anticipation starts creeping up on you far before you walk through the lit arch. I would argue it even begins before the trek to Austin. It happens the moment the schedule drops - suddenly you have to be tactical, artists are pitted against each other in epic listening sessions, breaks are planned, and sacrifices are made. Whether all of that planning largely goes out the window once you arrive is another story entirely.
At least that’s how the trip to Austin started for us anyway.
For us, ACL kicked off with Kendrick Lamar’s performance on the American Express stage. Following Week One’s late start, Kendrick was much more punctual, starting only 4 minutes after his scheduled start with “N95” from his 2022 album “Mr. Morale and the High Steppers”. The audience was packed, elbow to elbow, shoulder to shoulder, if anything this delay only served to increase the already tangible anticipation throughout the crowd.
“Is anybody alive right now?” Lamar asked, the crowd roared in response. Lamar’s prolific and diverse songwriting career has garnered a huge following since his debut in 2011. His songs have become anthems, which was clear by the roars the start of every song garnered. As for his masked dancers, they were cool, but let's be honest – it was hard to focus on anything but Kendrick's hypnotizing bars.
On Saturday morning, we were ready for more action, but not without a crucial purchase – shoe inserts. With our feet prepped, we dove into the festival.
Ok, now we were ready.
Our first musical adventure of the day was with Sincere Engineer, a Chicago-based punk band. We only caught one song, but it rocked.
Up next was Declan McKenna, whom I’ve loved since he first released “Brazil” in 2017. Walking out with eclipse glasses and hair cut into a mullet, it was clear, this dude was cool. His first song “Why Do You Feel So Down?” was perfect to start. His energy was clear, belting the lyrics to every single song as the crowd sang along. His growth as an artist has been both metaphorical and literal. His identity as an artist began as a teenage sensation with his album “What Do You Think About the Car?”, and although some critics were quick to label him a “one hit wonder’ the release of his 2020 sophomore album, quickly proved them wrong. McKenna closed the set with “British Bombs,” the visuals behind him showing news clippings of British funding of various armed conflicts.
After the closing of McKenna’s set we wandered over to the covered Tito’s stage of Sudan Archives. We were initially confused by her being placed on the smaller covered Tito’s stage but it soon became extremely evident this was the perfect decision. Her tracks on Spotify make it sound like she’s an RnB artist - THAT IS NOT THE CASE. She’s like an electric violin goth R&B heavy bass vibe; she absolutely shreds the electric violin. Whoever is mixing her tracks is playing the biggest game of “Gotcha!,” I've witnessed. The audience was absolutely captivated by her presence, swaying with the heavy bass. At one point she stood on the railing and sang to the crowd. All in all it was entrancing, breathtaking, and a thing of fantasy.
After a quick falafel break (shoutout ACL media lounge) we were ready to make our return to Tito's stage for twin duo Tegan and Sara. Although we didn’t stay for long, their charisma was evident. Apparently they used to dream about opening for Alanís Morisette, so it was really cool for them to be playing at the same time, on different stages. But apparently also some sort of sick joke to pit the Canadians against each other (at this point I learned that Alanis Morissette was Canadian).
We wandered our way to T-Mobile an hour before the start, and it was already packed. Noah Kahan walked out on stage sporting dutch braids and a jean jacket that said “Young Blood” on the front, a reference to his “Busy Head” album from 2018. Playing songs exclusively from his most recent album “Stick Season”, he had the crowd singing along for the entire show. For “She Calls Me Back,” he brought out special guest Mumford and Sons, whose velvety voices had the crowd sobbing when combined with the already heart wrenching lyrics. By the time the set ended the sun had gone down and night had befallen Zilker Park.
It was time for Foo Fighters. By this point the festival was packed, but on the bright side it was easier than ever to reach the Foo Fighters crowd. For the record, I love Dave Grohl, always have always will, so I must admit my review may be swayed by this fact. First and foremost this was the definition of absolute rock and roll, a term I have only ever used to describe seeing Darkbird, an Austin based band last year. Foo Fighters would play the beginning of a song pause, Dave would talk to the crowd, some shredding would occur then then continue playing the song. This formula had the crowd roaring. At different times during the set he would pause the music and direct that the lights on stage be flipped around and shined onto the crowd. During the band introductions, the keyboardist for Santana came out and played a bit alongside the keyboardist for us - this dude played at the original Woodstock and yet wasn’t missing a beat.
By Sunday we were achy but begging for more. After all, ACL only comes once a year.
Dope Lemon kicked off Sunday’s set with some lemonhead and cat visuals and jams to make us all feel like cowboys in the Texas heat. With songs like “Rose Pink Cadillac” and “Stonecutters,” the sun felt hazy and the vibes were good.
Del Water Gap was next on the T-Mobile stage. The highlight of the show was when he started climbing the side railing of the stage. Getting pretty far up and waving his arm around, he takes the trophy for most altitude gained during a performance by far.
We aimed to catch all of M83 but by the time we pivoted to the Honda stage, the set was underway. It was fantastic. They obviously played “Midnight City” and the crowd went crazy. That’s the great thing about ACL, energy can be found deep from within when a good song comes on.
Then it was time, the final set of our time at ACL, it was time for Hozier. Similar to my disclaimer regarding Dave Grohl, one is appropriate here as well: I love Hozier. With that being said, his set was beautiful and everytime he said anything with his Irish accent the crowd swooned. Playing a bit of a mixed set, he sampled from his entire discography hitting everything from “Cherry Wine” to “Eat Your Young”. He even brought on a special guest for “Damage Gets Done”. Just as the sun was setting, the set ended with “Take Me to Church.” It was the perfect ending to a great weekend.
See ya next year ACL!
Oct 4, 2023 | ktru
By Rachel Bui
The night before the Sound on Sound festival, torrential rain poured flooded parts of the tri-state area, leading the organizers to delay the start of the festival the next day and cutting 4 acts from the lineup last minute. Hours leading up to gates opening, I entered festival grounds to witness staff worked diligently to make conditions bearable. This included adding gravel and plastic walkways to mitigate the mud and water from the storm. The efforts, though not perfect, did help. Other logistics included improved sound (an aspect that was heavily criticized by festival goers last year), though the use of subwoofers was at times excessive.
Standout performances (besides the headliners) were Lord Huron and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats on Day 1, and Snacktime and Hozier for Day 2. Both Lord Huron and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats were energetic performers that were enjoyable to listen to live, Snacktime couldn’t help but make me dance with their funky jazz set, and Hozier created an almost spiritual experience that was a treat to witness.
Day 1 headliner Red Hot Chili Peppers had an explosive entrance to their stage, opening with “Can’t Stop” (and they never did, with their liveliness). From there, they kept their energy high, and the chemistry on stage between members was incredible. The Red Hot Chili Peppers were quite a few people’s main reason for attending the festival, and they did not disappoint.
Day 2 headliner John Mayer in contrast had a more mellow set, playing solo on his acoustic guitar the whole time. The decision to have a stripped down setup made sense, when you consider that this festival was a sort of homecoming for him, as he grew up in the area where the festival took place. Sprinkling in some antidotes of his time growing up in Connecticut between sets, his return to the state of Connecticut charmed both fans and those unfamiliar with his music. It was a touching end to the weekend-long festival.
With Sound on Sound starting to top the learning curve, I believe this will be a fun Northeast festival to make time for.
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.
With Sound on Sound starting to top the learning curve, I believe this will be a fun Northeast festival to make time for.
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.
