Porter Robinson & Jai Wolf – The Met – Philadelphia, PA – October 17, 2021
Porter Robinson fans came out in force to show some love to the 29-year-old DJ, singer, songwriter and record producer at the Met Philadelphia last night. Robinson gave back in spades with an exciting blend of incredible visuals, eclectic sounds and a performance that kept everyone on their feet for the whole night.
Starting off the warm October evening on Broad Street was James Ivy, a 22-year-old singer/songwriter out of Texas who opened the night with his guitar, lights, backdrop videos and smooth voice. The young artist got the crowd going by playing originals, as well as his cover of Robinson’s “Something Comforting.” He’s definitely a talent to look out for.
Next to hit the stage was Jai Wolf, the popular electronic music producer who brought a high-energy set including his hit “Indian Summer” and fan favorite “Better Apart.” Wolf’s uber-crazy lighting is almost hypnotic, and his graphics, beats and melodies kept everyone bouncing and screaming though out his set.
By the time Robinson hit the stage, his fans went crazy while he performed songs like “Look at the Sky,” “Sad Machine,” “Something Comforting,” “Sweet Time” and “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do.” Like his openers, Robinsons wild visuals shared his love of meaningful art, gaming, anime and Asian culture. In a cinematic way, his backscreens are definitely a mixture of his complex artistic mind and his passions.
Parts of Robinson’s performance felt like an intimate performance in front of just a few, as he sat at his piano and sang with nothing more than the piano keys to back him up. But then, moments later, he’d be up at his keyboard, with streams of colorful light filling the hundred-plus-year-old venue, while electronic sounds and melodies bounced off the walls. Watching his fans react to each song, I could tell they love and appreciate both sides of his sound.
Concert goers danced in the pit and in the aisles while bouncing a neon pink balloon around the floor and Robinson engaged with them with his music and banter. His mind-blowing set shared music from past releases, as well Nurture, his first album in nearly seven years. Robinson’s pure honesty in his words seems to be part of his message to his audience as he openly shares his struggles to make it through some dark times. Speaking to some of his fans between sets, a recurring theme was that he also helped them get through some tough times.
To see him perform in person, you can assume that Robinson is a perfectionist with every single detail of his performance being perfectly orchestrated. From laying on the stage while his image is projected to the backdrop like he’s hanging from the upper lights, to playing a virtual keyboard on the stage with his feet (also projected on the backdrop) reminiscent of Tom Hanks in Big, but much cooler, to sharing his family videos while dedicating a song to his parents and then his girlfriend Rika Mikuriya, concert goers all felt like they knew Robinson even better by the time the lights came down on the stage.
Robinson’s tour will continue to cross the US thru mid-November when it will close in San Deigo. Check out porterrobinson.com to see if he’s coming to your area. If so, we’d recommend sharing an evening with this talented artist. It is an experience you will not be disappointed by.
JoJo Wagner & Debbie Wagner
Copyright ©2021 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: October 19, 2021.
Photos by Mia Panzak © 2021
