Back in June I got to see Khruangbin live for the first time at Boston Calling and while their fest set was highly enjoyable I still had a deep desire to see a one-off show of theirs.
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Khruangbin @ The Greek Theatre in Berkeley 8/14/2024
photo by Nikki DeMartini |
After a week of working in typical San Francisco cold and foggy Summer weather I could hardly wait to meet up with some good friends and see Khruangbin with them.
It was a warm Wendesday under sunny Summer skies that faded into a warm Summer night at
The Greek Theatre in Berkeley. As we made our way it dawned on me that the last time I saw Khruangbin it was on the campus of Harvard University, this time I saw them on the campus of UC Berkeley.
We got their during the openers, Peter Cat Recording Co., found seats and watched as the venue fill in. It was the first of three shows, the third show of which I believe was added by popular demand. I hadn't been to a show there since live shows started reemerging from the pandemic in 2021 when
Sylvan Esso headlined. It was good to be back at my favorite outdoor venue in the Bay Area.
The three piece from Houston Texas is as interesting as their music is. Made up of the man who got the band together, guitarist Mark Speer, the Gospel choir drummer recruitment DJ Johnson and math teacher turned aspiring pianist turned bassist Laura Lee Ochoa.
They have created music over their five album catalog transcending a different place in time, lifting spirits along the way. The frontman and woman both wear wigs, a realization I had come to a while back but one my friend who I was there with, who's happens to be a barber, was still processing.
A simple yet ingenius effort to keep the focus on their musical personas rather than their personal, real life, lives. Khruangbin may have struck gold with that work, life balance approach as their popularity continues to grow.
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Khruangbin @ The Greek Theatre in Berkeley 8/14/2024
photo by Nikki DeMartini |
They're not your average jam band gaggle of mostly white dudes but they draw the same age limitless fanbase as other jam bands.
There were fans in the crowd that night ranging from teens to fans well past sixty.
And man, does Khruangbin jam.
The same stage design from Boston Calling flanked the stage at The Greek only this time the A LA SALA cover art-esque design rotated projected images through the arched windows and behind them. The images flowed with each theme of the song being played, emersing the crowd in a full-on Khruangbin experience.
The first half of their set they played their latest album, 2024's A LA SALA cover to cover. It didn't take long to understand what makes Khruangbin so good. These three fall together so effortlessly, blending each melody they create independently together in a captivating way.
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Khruangbin @ The Greek Theatre in Berkeley 8/14/2024
photo by Nikki DeMartini |
The second song "May Ninth" found all three on the minimal amont of vocals the song offers and it was clear to see just how tight their performance is. It's something heard on their albums but it's entirely something else to witness live.
Speer's wizardry on guitar is completley enthralling.
Slow tempo.
Fast tempo.
Chill tempo.
Dance tempo.
Doesn't matter, Speer never wavers and he delivers with a passion you can feel. Shredding and strumming worldy influences of Moroccan and Afgan melodies Speer's flamenco style playing is accentuated by the seamlessness of the whole band.
The whole production is a flawless work of art.
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Khruangbin @ The Greek Theatre in Berkeley 8/14/2024
photo by Nikki DeMartini
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When they exited the stage after "Les Petits Gris" we thought they were doing wardrobe change. But they reappeared wearing the same outifts to play songs from the rest of their catalog.
There's no denying visual creativity of their live preformance as you watch Speer and Ochoa tell a story with each song they play. The simpilicity of their in sync steps around the stage are also in sync with the notes being played. The sort of cat and mouse game they play with each other musically and visually speak volumes in the absence of lyrics.
Johnson was included in this when at the top of one song he got off of his drum kit to stroll along the window panes, peering out for a moment of contemplation before returning to his drums. He's featured a lot more on those few and far between backup vocals than you might realize, too.
A side from one shout out to The Greek Theatre in Berkeley there wasn't any banter and it would have felt out of place if there was more than that anyway. For Khruangbin it's all about the music and the autmosphere that they create.
Khruangbin is the Thai word that means airplane and the band has stated that it "symbolizes the international set of influences that shape our music". Khruangbin gives fans the opporituinity to broaden their horizons, carrying you away to get lost in their music they've created from sounds around the globe.
Simple yet complex.
Khruangbin makes great music and they put on a great show.
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Khruangbin @ The Greek Theatre in Berkeley 8/14/2024
photo by Nikki DeMartini |
Khruangbin set-list 8/14/2024
set one
1. Fifteen Fifty Three
2. May Ninth
3. Ada Jean
4. Farolim de Felgueiras
5. Pon Pon
6. Todavia Viva
7. Juegos y Nubes
8. Hold Me Up (Thank You)
9. Caja de la Sala
10. Three from Two
11. A Love International
12. Les Petit Gris
set two
13. Como me quieres
14. Father Bird, Mother Bird
15. August 10
16. White Gloves
17. Two Fish and an Elephant
18. The Infamous Bill
19. So We Won't Forget
20. Evan Finds the Third Room
21. Time (You and I)
22. Zionville
encore
23. People Everywhere (Still Alive)
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