keshi made his second to last stop of his HELL/HEAVEN Tour at Emo’s in his college town Austin, Texas on June 23. The Vietnamese Houston native brought along Japanese NYC-based artist, rei brown, to open the show.
It was a hot Thursday evening when everyone waited in a long line at Emo’s to see keshi’s concert, the penultimate of a sold-out tour. Some fans were waiting since 3 PM even though doors did not open until 7 PM.
One could describe the opener, red brown, as the Asian version of Troye Sivan. He captivated the audience with his sound, performing a mixture of R&B, lo-fi, electronic, and synth. Donning an all-white look and buzzed pink hair, he gave off an ethereal energy. After his tour with keshi, he’ll be opening for Joji during the fall.
keshi’s unforgettable intro kicked off with his band played a rock instrumental number, lights flashing everywhere. The whole crowd, dressed to their best in sweat-stained clothes, screamed as keshi ran onto the stage. He danced, he body rolled, he shined.
He performed his 2022 debut album, GABRIEL, and also sang and performed his big hits “like i need u” and “2 soon.” In between songs, he reminisced about how he went to University of Texas at Austin for four years and spoke about how good it was to be back. During one moment, fans raised their hands and did the “Hook’em Horns” sign.
keshi’s performance for the Austin show thrilled the audience, an energetic night that kept everyone jumping up and down, complete with necklaces that fans could choose from that represented either heaven or hell. He’s an artist that represents many AAPI out there, especially the Houston Vietnamese American community.
