keshi Serenades Sold Out Kia Forum

Written by: Ephney Tsai

After months of anticipation, keshi finally brought his Requiem tour to Los Angeles, bringing an emotionally-charged and unforgettable performance to the Kia Forum. With this being the singer's first time headlining this historic LA venue, it almost felt like a full-circle moment: keshi, who has grown from an artist making bedroom beats was now performing sold out arenas, yet at the root of it all, he was still the same keshi making his same signature sounds.

Photo by: Timothy Norris

The night began with Starfall, whose impressive production and genre-blurring set warmed up the early crowd. Though relatively new on the scene, their set's fusion of alternative R&B and synth-heavy dream pop fit perfectly with the evening's vibe. Next up, Roy Blair brought a burst of alt-rock and hip-hop energy to the Kia Forum, shaking the room awake with his raw live vocals and catchy beats. Roy Blair's set was explosive, with standout tracks like “Thunder” and “You Weren’t There” garnering the crowd's full attention before it was time for the main act of the night.

Once both opening acts had spent some time sharing their music with the passionate audience, it was time for keshi to take the stage. As the lights dimmed and the first notes of “Amen” rang out, the room was instantly entranced . The stage setup was intentional, with layered LED visuals and heavy fog, and did a great job at replicating keshi's classic look and feel. Dressed in a white jacket, no shirt, and classic blue jeans, and backed by a live band, it was time for the main stage to begin. The solo singer prepared a carefully curated setlist full of newest songs, fan favorites, and deeper cut tracks.

Songs such as “Say" and “Like That” felt effortless, each delivered with the confidence and serenity that the singer is known for. The crowd sang nearly every word back, yet the singer still maintained full command. Though he has quite a history of experiencing unfortunate technical errors in Los Angeles, thankfully, his show at the Kia Forum did not experience the same. Songs like “the reaper”  and “beside you” were particularly emotional for the crowd with their serene, stripped down, heartfelt atmosphere that was only pierced with keshi's falsetto.

The show moved in waves, shifting from the tender longing of “Texas,” which pays homage to his Texan roots, to the energetic “TOUCH.” With each song, the singer also showed off another  revealed yet another piece of his multifaceted talent as a producer, lyricist, vocalist, performer, and storyteller. “Bodies” and “Euphoria” back-to-back created the perfect closing moment for the show, as the latter lit up the venue with phones in the air and a symphony of sound as fans sang along with passion. The highlight song of the show, without a doubt, was "drunk." The singer challenged fans to sing it louder than the previous loudest stop, Toronto, and to no one's surprise, Los Angeles showed up and showed out. Taking a step back to stare at the crowd in awe in an "I made it" moment, the audience screamed the lyrics back at keshi with emotion and pure love for the singer. Of course, no show is complete without an encore, and keshi's was no different. After a short break, the singer returned to perform “Id." It was the perfect closing note to an evening built on vulnerability and atmosphere.

Photo by: Timothy Norris

With a heartfelt, meaningful show and setlist, keshi's show at the Kia Forum was dreamlike. The singer has built his name through his artistry and his storytelling, and the Requiem Tour was a great summary of his story and career thus far. With such a unique show and person, the concert only served to leave fans excited for what's yet to come for keshi and his music. 

keshi's Setlist:

Amen

Say

Kiss Me Right

Like That

the reaper

like i need u

beside you

WANTCHU

Soft Spot

Texas

Dream

LIMBO

summer

Inside Out

Forever

UNDERSTAND

drunk

Just To Die

TOUCH

War

2 soon

Bodies

Euphoria

Id