Concerts Reviews
Music as Medicine: The Lumineers Play Two Nights at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum
On September 8th, 2010, Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites played their first show in Los Angeles; in the back of Molly Malone’s, an Irish Pub that is beloved by Angelenos. Fifteen years later, the pair better known as The Lumineers, headlined two nights at one of the largest venues in the city, the Kia Forum. In a night celebrating five albums and twenty years of musical partnership between Schultz and Fraites, rather than simply playing to August 9th’s sold out crowd, The Lumineers performed a love letter to the community they have cultivated.
London based singer-songwriter Tom Odell kicked off the night with ‘“Don’t Let Me Go”, the lead single from his upcoming album A Wonderful Life that is set to release on September 5th. With a four piece band backing him, Odell played piano while alternating between songs from his debut album, Long Way Down, and previous album Black Friday. Halfway through his set, he introduced his newest song “Ugly”, which had only been released the day before. Odell began the song with a dedication: “To anybody in the audience who might’ve had a moment in their lives where they looked at themselves and didn’t like what they saw, I want to remind those people tonight that you are in fact incredibly beautiful, and I dedicate this song to you,”. Odell’s powerful vocals warmed up the crowd quickly, with even those who had never heard his music before loudly cheering him on. While his set was short, it set the room abuzz and laid the groundwork for an incredible night to follow.
The Lumineers followed soon after, opening with “Same Old Song”, the lead single from their newest album Automatic. The energy in the room was immediately electric. The band played old favorites like “Flowers in Your Hair” and “Charlie Boy”, and sprinkled in hits from the new album. Before playing “Asshole”, Schultz remarked that several people in his life, including his wife of over ten years, Brandy, thought he was an asshole when they first met him. In a way, Schultz presented “Asshole” as an ode to those in the audience who seem rough and ragged around the edges.
They then played “BRIGHTSIDE”, the titular track off of their fourth album, and Schultz jumped down into the pit to make his way through the crowd. He made it all the way to the rafters in the section farthest from the stage, giving fans high fives along the way. Shortly after, the band started their dark ballad “Salt and the Sea” from their album III, and brought Tom Odell back out to the stage with loud cheers from the audience ensuing. He joined Schultz on vocals for the second verse, adding a deeper layer to an already emotionally charged song. They couldn’t let Odell leave without showcasing his incredible piano playing alongside Fraites’ own talent; Fraites slid over on his bench making room for Odell to sit next to him, and the two played the piano outro together.
As the night continued, a fan favorite, “Big Parade”, began. Schultz announced that the band was going to try something different– instead of him singing the whole song, all seven of the band members were going to take their own verse. As they traded off, Schultz gave a quick intro for each of them. First up was Lauren Jacobson, violinist extraordinaire. Guitarist and percussionist Brandon Miller took the next verse, and the crowd learned that he initially started as a member of the band’s crew, but he was so talented that they asked him to join them on stage. Then came Byron Isaacs’ turn, The Lumineers’ bass player of over ten years who they met while recording their second album, Cleopatra. Stelth Ulvang was next, who Schultz coined the “Pedro Pascal of the piano”. Ulvang was so excited to take his turn that he accidentally ripped the cord out of his microphone when running over to center stage. While he didn’t sing, percussionist Reverend Derek Brown was the next to be featured; Fraites let him take over his drum kit for a solo that made the crowd go wild. Finally, Schultz put the spotlight on Fraites, who according to Schultz was about to do something that in the twenty years of making music together he hadn’t done– sing in front of a crowd. The crowd went wild. In the verse Fraites sang, the final line was fittingly “They know all his words by heart, by heart and they all sing”.
As the evening was starting to come to an end, Schultz let the audience know that they had been playing with heavy hearts– at the end of May, his younger brother, Sam, suddenly passed away from a heart attack. The band was in Europe at the time, over 4,000 miles away from their shared hometown of Denver, Colorado, but Schultz decided to carry on with the tour. He remarked that “nights like this are really healing,” and that he was “in a strange headspace, but [he’s] also in one that provides [him] with a little bit of clarity on what music has meant to [him],”. Just the week before their run at The Forum, the band headlined Mile High Stadium in Denver, making Colorado history by being the first local artists to do so. The very next day they all attended Sam’s funeral. Following Schultz’ tribute, they then dedicated their next song to Sam, an emotional cover of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind”.
They finished the night with arguably their biggest hits– “Cleopatra” and “Stubborn Love”. One of the most powerful lyrics in the latter is “It’s better to feel pain, than nothing at all. The opposite of love’s indifference”; a very fitting closing to an emotional night of both the band and audience coming together to use live music to heal. “I’m also just grateful that I get to pour my heart out and just give some sort of service to other people in this time, because I feel like I would be useless otherwise. So thank you for letting us serve you guys… thank you for being here, thank you for letting us pour our hearts out and mean something,” said Schultz.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
The Lumineers have several stops left on their Automatic World Tour; find more info here.
Upcoming Automatic World Tour Dates:
2025
8/13 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater
8/14 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater
8/16 Seattle, WA T-Mobile Park
8/30 Chicago, IL Soldier Field
9/3 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Amphitheater
9/6 Washington, DC Nationals Park
9/8 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
9/9 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage
9/11 Louisville, KY Bourbon & Beyond Festival
9/13 Detroit, MI Comerica Park
9/16 Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
9/17 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion
9/19 Philadelphia, PA Citizens Bank Park
9/21 Richmond, VA Iron Blossom Music Festival
9/23 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Wellness Arena
9/26 Charleston, SC Credit One Stadium
9/27 Savannah, GA Enmarket Arena
9/30 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
10/1 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
10/3 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
10/4 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena
10/7 Hollywood, FL Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
10/8 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
10/10 The Woodlands, TX The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
10/11 Fort Worth, TX Dickies Arena
10/14 Austin, TX Moody Center
10/17 Mexico City, MX Pepsi Center WTC
10/18 Mexico City, MX Pepsi Center WTC
11/7 Scottsdale, AZ Dreamy Draw Festival
2026
1/3 Christchurch, NZ Christchurch Town Hall
1/6 Auckland, NZ Spark Arena
1/9 Melbourne, AU Sidney Myer Music Bowl
1/13 Brisbane, AU Brisbane Entertainment Centre
1/16 Sydney, AU Qudos Bank Arena
1/18 Adelaide, AU Adelaide Entertainment Centre
1/21 Perth, AU RAC Arena
1/24 Singapore, SG Fort Canning Green
1/27 Manila, PH New Frontier Theater
1/29 Tokyo, JP Zepp Haneda
2/1 Delhi, IN Huda Ground
2/4 Cape Town, ZA Grand Arena at Grand West
2/7 Pretoria, ZA Sunbet Arena at Time Square Casino
THE LUMINEERS
TOM ODELL
All Photo Credit: Kelsie Kerr
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: A Sold-Out Night of Performance Art With Sudan Archives
Words by Kali Moreno
Photos by Kelli Rothwell
A sold-out night at The Pearl set the tone for a show that felt half concert, half art installation. Sudan Archives brought her genre-blurring world to Vancouver following the release of The BPM in 2025, with support from Cain Culto.
Cain Culto confidently navigated an energetic, multi-media set backed by Indigenous, Latin American, and Bluegrass influences – what he calls Kentucky Latin Art-Pop. As he gradually shed layers of clothing, he added homemade props to deliver his song’s messages of empowerment and resistance in both Spanish and English. His musical skills as a vocalist and violinist, paired with his artistic expression as a visual artist, created a riveting piece of performance art.
Dressed in a skin-tight, full body suit and wearing otherworldly grey contact lenses, Sudan Archives commanded a sold-out stage for her one-woman set at The Pearl. The deeply human themes of her songs, which sit in genre around house, techno, and R&B, were shared with the rowdy audience alongside recurring mechanical sounds and choreographed robotic movements. This examination of technology and humanity reminded that her artistry and expression transcend her talents as a singer, violinist, and beat-maker. Sudan Archives performed three encore songs, jumping off the stage to dance with the screaming crowd before leaving Vancouver with the parting words: “y’all are fucking lit.”
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
Upcoming Tour Dates:
02-18 San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom
02-19 San Diego, CA – Music Box
02-20 Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre
More info on Sudan Archives’ website.
SUDAN ARCHIVES
CAIN CULTO
All Photo Credit: Kelli Rothwell
Concerts Reviews
LIVE REVIEW: The Captain of the Castro: Why Sam Smith’s Residency Is San Francisco’s New Sanctuary
Words by Starr Lee
SAN FRANCISCO- After an intimate residency in Brooklyn earlier this year, Sam Smith has brought the concept west, settling into San Francisco’s newly reopened Castro Theatre for a five-week run that feels deliberate and personal.
The neon marquee glows against the fog like it has something to say. Inside the 1,400-capacity movie palace, restored after a $41 million renovation, the main level fills quickly. No floor seating. Just a standing crowd packed beneath the balcony, bodies shoulder to shoulder, faces tilted toward the stage. Above them, fans lean over the railing, drinks in hand, waiting.
Smith walks out without fanfare.
They open with “Lay Me Down,” nearly motionless beneath a single spotlight. Dressed in a structured captain’s hat and a sweeping lace coat fastened with an oversized flower pendant, they look like a romantic voyager arriving somewhere that already feels familiar. The first note is soft, almost cautious. Then it opens.
In a room this size, nothing escapes. The Castros’ acoustics catch the grain in Smith’s tenor, the slight ache at the edge of sustained notes, the inhale before a chorus swells. The crowd is silent, standing still, listening.
When “I’m Not the Only One” begins, the temperature shifts. Smith lowers their voice for the first verse, almost speaking the lines before lifting into the chorus. On “You and me, we made a vow,” their voice tightens just slightly, intentional and controlled. By the second refrain, the crowd is singing quietly along. Not screaming. Not overpowering. Just enough to be felt. Smith steps back from the mic for a beat and lets the lyric hover before reclaiming it with a steady rise. The moment feels shared rather than performed.
After the second song, Smith looks out across the standing crowd below the balcony.
“This city means a lot to me,” they say. “My first show here, I was 20 years old.”
They tell a story about being left alone in San Francisco while a partner explored the city without them. About wandering through neighbourhoods by themselves. About unexpectedly falling in love with the place. “It feels very full circle to be here for five weeks,” they admit, scanning the room.
Then they squint toward the front.
“Wait. Were you here last night?”
A fan screams.
“Oh my God. You’re doing the residency properly. I love that.”
Laughter spreads across the floor and up to the balcony. That’s the difference when an artist stays in one place. The room starts to recognise itself.
Midway through the set, the lace coat slips away, revealing a custom Vivienne Westwood look: a black poet’s shirt with dramatic sleeves, tailored cheeky shorts, towering heeled boots striking sharply against the stage. The shift feels freeing. Smith moves differently now. Looser. More playful.
They introduce a new track, “My Guy,” sharing that for the first time in their career, they are writing from a place where the love is reciprocated. Followed by a cover of Erasure’s “A Little Respect”, “It’s a Wednesday,” they laugh, “but I need you to shake your titties.”
The balcony answers first.
A sleek blend of “Ain’t Nobody” and “I’m Not Here to Make Friends” turns the theatre intoa late-night dance floor. But soon they bring the energy back down to another cover
Later, bathed in deep blue light, Smith steps toward the piano for “Angel From Montgomery.”
“It took me eight years to finally listen to Elton and sing this,” they admit.
The arrangement is stripped back to piano and voice. No embellishment. The lower register carries weight. The higher notes remain clear and measured. When the final line fades, the room holds still for a second longer than expected before applause breaks through.
Sam Smith’s residency at the Castro Theatre runs through Feb.10th-March 14th, 2026. Tickets are available via the theatre’s official website. With just 1,400 standing spots per night and word spreading quickly, availability is limited.
Five weeks in one theatre does something rare. It turns a concert into a chapter. And this one is still being written.