Terminal 5 (New York, NY)
04/29/23
On April 29th, Los Angeles-based indie-rock musician Theo Katzman performed to a packed crowd at New York City’s iconic Terminal 5 as part of his spring tour to celebrate the release of his newest album, Be The Wheel. The show opened up with a stunning performance by Michigan-based singer-songwriter May Erlewine before Theo and his band took the stage. As they walked on, a recording of Theo’s voice played over the speakers to introduce the show with a monologue describing the importance of music and nature, before the lights came up and the band kicked off with a captivating performance of the title track of their album, Be The Wheel. They continued with performances of “5-Watt Rock” and “Hit The Target,” also off the album, before diving into older stuff as well.
Both Theo and the band playing with him brought incredible energy the entire night. Known for leaning into funk and jazz, high falsettos, and insane instrumental breakdowns and solos, there was never a dull moment and every member on stage got a chance to shine. Iconic bass player Joe Dart (Vulfpeck) had the crowd in the palm of his hands, showcasing his skills with numerous solos and breakdowns throughout the set. Jordan Rose kept the drums going all night, from high intensity solos to more laid back jazz grooves, never once faltering. David Mackay held it down beautifully on synths throughout the night, and Packy Lundholm matched Dart’s energy on guitar. Theo played guitar and piano (and briefly, a vocoder) himself as well, but it was his incredible vocals – in particular, his phenomenal falsetto – that were the star of the show. All together, there was an incredible display of musicianship on the stage, and the audience couldn’t get enough of it.
A few standout moments included a high energy performance of their song, “Corn Does Grow,” during which a fan in the front row threw corn onto the stage that Theo, perhaps against his better judgment, did not hesitate to start eating as he performed. Additionally, “You Could Be President” and “Hard Work” were crowd favorites, featuring incredible moments from individual members of the band, and, of course, Katzman’s famous falsetto. The crowd fell near silent during a touching moment when Katzman beautifully performed “Nobody Loves You Like Your Mother” to his mother, who was in the audience, towards the end of the set, and it was lovely to see May Erlewine brought back onstage to join the band for the encore as well.
