Let's just start by saying that Kygo, the King of Tropical House music, "Stole the Show" and the audience was "Raging" from start to finish. The 25-year-old Norwegian DJ is booked to play two nights at the Hollywood Bowl, having added a second show after Saturday night sold out, and for good reason.
If you're unsure of what tropical house music is, think of it as mainstream pop EDM (Electronic Dance Music); the songs are more mellow and "beachy," and don't have the bass-heavy drop of typical EDM.
Who's Kygo (aka Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll)? Well, he's been making music for a while, but he truly emerged on the scene last year, gaining immense popularity with breakout singles like "Stole the Show" and "Firestone" that dominated the charts. According to Spotify, who coined him their "breakout artist" of 2015, he reached 1 billion streams on their platform faster than any other artist. I like to think of Kygo's music as being relaxing yet energizing all at the same time. It's the perfect feel-good music.
Now that you know who Kygo is and what his music is like, it's time to check out his show.
The first act of the night was Seeb, the Norwegian EDM/Tropical House duo, known for their remixes of Mike Posner's "I Took A Pill in Ibiza" and Coldplay's "Hymn for the Weekend." Seeb warmed up the crowd for Bob Moses, a Canadian electronic group. Bob Moses' music slowed down the pace that had been built up by Seeb, so it seemed a little out of place for a pre-Kygo group.
Then Kygo appeared on stage with Parson James to start his performance with "Stole the Show." Its immense popularity made it a great opening song that excited the crowd.
Going into the concert, I had no idea what to expect from a DJ's show, but it wasn't just Kygo playing turntables. He brought on various surprise guests to accompany him including (amongst others) Leona Lewis, Seal, a member of Kodaline, James Hersey, Conrad Sewell, as well as a saxophonist and a group of violinists. This refreshingly mixed up the show so that we weren't just staring at a DJ booth the whole time. We never knew what was around the corner or who would come out next which made it incredibly exciting.
While Kygo performed so many awesome songs, a few stuck out in particular: "Younger," "I See Fire," "Often," "Sexual Healing" (with a surprise appearance from Seal), "Coming Over" (James Hersey appeared), and "Firestone" (with Conrad Sewell). Kygo even played an unreleased track, "Carry On for You." Based on the audience's reaction, I'm sure it'll be a big hit. Just like so many of Kygo's songs, its beat was contagious and he had everyone dancing in their seats.
While I won't pretend to know how Kygo produces his music while on stage, he certainly looked busy manipulating his turntables, and most-surprisingly to me, playing the keyboard. For a few songs, he actually descended from the booth he had in the center stage and played the piano. It turns out Kygo's quite the accomplished pianist. He also seemed genuinely excited to be performing at the Hollywood Bowl, saying he never dreamed he would have been able to play there. And for every song he was singing along and moving with the beat.
The Hollywood Bowl was a spectacular venue. While it was a bit chilly because autumn in Los Angeles has arrived, being outside was really fun (especially as it meant that there could be fireworks). If you've never been to a Hollywood Bowl concert, I'd highly recommend it. It's an awesome, modern space. And Kygo's music made the atmosphere incredible. Everyone was so excited and singing and dancing along to the music, which brought the concert to a whole new level.
One of the coolest parts of the show was that every audience member was given a bracelet to wear that synchronized with other audience members' and lit up different colors for each song. Coldplay does this too and it elevates the concert because it really engages the audience with each and every song and makes an unbelievable light show. It was stunning looking around the bowl at the thousands of different colored lights. The bracelets combined with graphics on the screens, lasers, flames, and fireworks set off throughout the concert made for a spectacular visual show.
My only critique is that in the middle of the concert, the energy level dipped a bit. To be fair, this is because Kygo performed some of his slower songs, like his remix of M83's "Wait," whose slower beats make them harder for dancing. While I really do like Kygo's slower songs, for this concert they served as a stark contrast to his other more upbeat songs he had been playing. But, as Kygo's musical repertoire is diverse in terms of sounds and pace, this is part and parcel of Kygo. That being said, people were jamming to these slower tunes and afterwards he ramped up the energy level once again and steered the show towards an amazing culmination.
For the finale, Conrad Sewell came out and Kygo performed a piano rendition of "Firestone" alongside him. Then both men disappeared and reappeared in the DJ booth to add some Kygo flare. Flames shot out of the top of the stage and a brilliant firework show ensued. Needless to say, the finale was epic.
After having such a great time and being impressed with the diversity of Kygo's performance, I couldn't recommend his concert enough. Catch Kygo at his next stop – you won't regret it. After his concert, you'll simply feel good.
Reach Staff Reporter Emily Deissler here.
Annenberg Media