KAYTRANADA wasn’t just a concert. It was a celebration.
The experience began in the parking lot. The migration from Lot B to Merriweather’s entrance was a street side fashion show– denim boots, leather tops, floor length braids and the like. It seemed like every cool person in the DMV was heading to the concert. Inside, everyone was moving with glee. Not walking, but dancing to their seats. Not just laughing, but bursting– bent over their bellies with smiles wide. There were moments of Black joy all around.
Sam Gellaitry took the stage first, DJing in front of fuzzy, retro-inspired visuals. Often only visible from his silhouette, he kept his performance simple, allowing his electrifying production to speak for itself. During his hit, “Assumptions”, the backdrop became a dizzying array of colors while jubilee spread through the crowd.
Channel Tres quickly followed, along with his cast of dancers. Tres and the dancers, unapologetically Black and masculine, moved with certainty and grace. Together, their revue encapsulated house tradition, distinctly rooted in Black, queer culture and performance. Tres mostly played songs from his latest album Head Rush, including his collaborations with Ravyn Lenane, Thundercat, and Estelle. He glided around the stage, mic in hand, frequently addressing the audience. The crowd was gripped, cheering for the cool moves and flips on stage while never being still themselves.
With such engaging openers, one may have wondered what the audience had left in them. Perhaps they had used up all of their energy. Their feet had to have been getting sore by now and their voices hoarse. But, this was KAYTRANADA. Passivity was not an option. The party would go on.
KAYTRANADA came in with a flash. Apt for an album and tour called Timeless, his entrance was like a big bang. Light shimmered and flickered wildly on stage in the darkened venue before bursting into the audience. As the lights came up, KAYTRANADA strutted to stand before his DJ setup like the commander of a spaceship. In his setlist, he perfectly weaved in old hits, like “Worst in Me” ft. Tinashe, and deep cuts, like “Lite Spots”, with tracks from Timeless and Soundcloud exclusive remixes. Rapper and KAYTRANADA’s brother, Lou Phelps, also joined the stage for their collaboration “Call U Up”. During the choruses, the brothers joined forces in a synchronized dance reminiscent of Beyoncé and Solange Knowles’ 2018 Coachella dance break. Still, even when alone on stage, KAYTRANADA shimmied and bobbed. Playful yet tight and clean, his moves captured the audience and were met with roars. If the crowd was tired, they didn’t show it. They matched KAYTRANADA’s energy, enduringly bouncing. Even when KAYTRANADA was pulled off stage for a false fire alarm, the crowd kept on. Audience members clapped a beat and cheered, and when Kaytranada returned, they got right back to dancing. By the time he got to his biggest hit, his remix of Teedra Moses’ “Be Your Girl”, pure joy was on the face of every person in the crowd.
I was lucky enough to sit in Merriweather’s skybox, which, except for my best friend, was empty. In any other case, having a section to ourselves would surely separate us from the energy and feel of the audience. But, not here. In part because of Merriweather’s open design that keeps the audience united, and also because of the crowd’s absolute adoration for KAYTRANADA.
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