Royel Otis – Union Transfer – Philadelphia (A PopEntertainment.com Concert Review)

Updated: Sep 30

Royel Otis – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA – September 23, 2024

Alternative duo Royel Otis stopped in Philly on their Glory-to-Glory tour. The Australian duo, consisting of Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell, hence their name, sold out a night at Union Transfer. They grew to fame with their two Tik Tok viral covers of The Cranberries’ “Linger” and “Murder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor. However, their own discography is overlooked, this band is more than their covers and their new album was proof. Their newest album, Pratts & Pain, was released earlier this September, containing hits like “‘Til The Morning” and “Foam.” Alongside Royel Otis, a young band from Chicago named Friko joined the tour, making this quite the concert.

Friko opened their set with just the frontman, Niko Kapetan, performing with his guitar and vocals. Once his bandmates joined him onstage, the energy picked up instantly. Starting off with “Chemical” off their album Where We've Been, Where We Go from Here, the crowd was bopping along and vibing with the band. The group had the perfect sound as the opener for Royel Otis. A similar rock-oriented groove that kept the audience intrigued and alive. The insane vocals backed up by the intense guitar riffs and percussion made Friko truly unique. Some songs like “In_Out” even gave 70s and 80s rock feel. Ending their set with “Get Numb to It!,” the audience clearly didn’t want Friko’s set to end, but they were ready for Royel Otis.

Hitting the stage with “Heading For The Door,” Royel Otis captured the crowd immediately. Everyone was dancing around and singing along. People in the audience of all ages coming together, singing word for word to all the upcoming songs. With Roy on guitar, and Otis taking full control of the crowd with his voice and guitar, the duo made for an incredible night. They performed a lot of songs off Pratts & Pain, like “Adored” and “Daisy Chain,” songs the audience didn’t get to hear live before. Along with their new songs, they performed hits off their album Sofa Kings, like “Going Kokomo” and “I Wanna Dance With You.” They even played their cover of “Murder on the Dancefloor” which really got the crowd singing louder and dancing around more than before. Playing “Oysters In My Pocket” from their EP “Bar N Grill” before they exited the stage, the audience wasn’t letting up, and they didn’t want the night to end.

Coming back out, Royel Otis played their other well-known cover, “Linger” by The Cranberries. Every single person in the audience was singing along word for word, no one was silent. Finishing their set with “Kool Aid,” a fun, funky, dance song that was an amazing way to end the night.

The show was incredible. Royel Otis captures a crowd and knows their audience. Playing songs their fans want to hear most and delivering it in such an amazing way. Go check out their new album Pratts & Pain and catch a show on their Glory-to-Glory tour before it ends in Vancouver on October 22nd.

Maria Gilles