Review: KESHI brings the HELL & BACK TOUR to Vancouver

This month, musical artist KESHI, played a sold out show at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, BC. Following his successful HELL/HEAVEN tour last year, KESHI returned to Vancouver once again, but this time at a bigger venue. KESHI's current HELL & BACK tour included both Europe and North America stops and began in Dublin, Ireland in January. After 3 months of touring and just 7 stops left, Keshi will play his last show at the 713 Music Hall in his hometown of Houston, Texas on April 17th.

Casey Luong, known by his stage name of KESHI, is an American multi-talented musical artist. As a successful singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist, KESHI first garnered attention in 2017 with his music on SoundCloud. Through watching YouTube tutorials on how to write and produce his own music, KESHI brought his music to life and developed his own distinct sound. Combining lo-fi hiphop beats with his dreamy falsetto vocals and textured instrumentation, KESHI created an individualized ethereal sound that truly embodied who he was. Under his label, Island Records, he has released 4 EPs and 1 studio album entitled, Gabriel, that was released in March of last year. With over 1 billion streams and millions of listeners around the world, KESHI has reached great success in such a short period of time. It's only up from here for him.

Photo Credit: Kenji Chong

James Ivy and Deb Never were the 2 artists that opened up for KESHI at his Vancouver show. Both did a great job at getting the crowd amped up for what was to come. By the time KESHI took the stage, everyone was excited and itching to hear his live set. He opened up the show with his song, Blue, and immediately won over the crowd. The chill nature of his music lent itself to both a relaxing, yet exciting concert experience.

Photo Credit: Kenji Chong

One of the most memorable moments of the concert was when KESHI was negotiating with the audience about when he was going to take his shirt off. "I'll tell you what, I'll take off my shirt if you guys can be the loudest crowd that has ever sung this song," stated KESHI. As he proceeded with the song, "drunk," the audience did not hesitate to sing along, making the moment a core memory for all hardcore Vancouver KESHI fans.

Photo Credit: Kenji Chong

Another highlight was the performance of a new unreleased song entitled, "Kiss Me Right." The upbeat melody and catchy lyrics captured my interest right away and had everyone dancing along throughout the song. Furthermore, KESHI made sure to play fan favorite songs, "Limbo," "beside you," and "Like I Need You." Whether you were a hardcore fan of KESHI or not, you were guaranteed to fall in love with him by the end of the show. Along with his quality live vocals and charismatic stage presence, KESHI provided a memorable concert experience that fans will remember for a long time. If KESHI returns to Vancouver again, I am certain he will sell out another show.

KESHI's HELL & BACK TOUR played at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, BC on April 1st, 2023. Keshi's next stop will be at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA on April 7th, 2023. He will play his final show of the HELL & BACK TOUR on April 17th at the 713 Music Hall in Houston, TX. For more information about the tour and to buy tickets visit the link below!

Top Photo Credit: Kenji Chong 2023

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