Photo by @BRANNDANNART via Khruangbin’s Twitter

Khruangbin returned to Radio City Music Hall for the first time since opening for Leon Bridges in 2018 during his Good Thing Tour. This time, however, the name on the marquee was the at first hard to pronounce now impossible to forget, Khruangbin. The Houston Texas trio’s two-night run was sold-out both evenings and featured beloved songs off their discography, old and new, along with an impressive array of covers.

On Wednesday, March 9, the members of Khruangbin elegantly strutted up the stairs to three circular raised platforms upon Radio City Music Hall’s stage in front of 6,000 fans. They opened with “First Class” off their 2020 album Mordechai and quickly moved into a few number-themed songs, including “August Twelve,” “The Number 3” and “August 10.” Next came “So We Won’t Forget,” which showcased the groups’ delicate celestial vocals of bassist Laura Lee Ochoa. They then moved into “Lady and Man” from their 2018 album Con Todo el Mundo, reminding fans how lucky they are that the members of Khruangbin didn’t end up doctors or lawyers. Next came the equally lyrically fun and sister song off Con Todo el Mundo, “Evan Finds the Third Room.” They then played the title track off their 2014 debut EP, “The Infamous Bill,” which was followed by 2020’s “Pelota,” which is sung entirely in Spanish.

If there is one word besides “Khruangbin-ish” that could describe their sound throughout the evening, it would be “tight.” Unified through Donald “DJ” Johnson’s percussive spine, they gave off a feeling that they could take on anything, and on their current tour, Khruangbin has been proving it.

After “Pelota,” the band broke into what’s credited on the setlist as “Melody.” The first “melody” was from David Bowie’s iconic song “Let’s Dance.” As soon as the whole room recognized the unmistakable song, the band, without missing a beat, morphed moved into a riff from Dave Matthews’ cover of Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” which MF Doom’s sampled and made famous on his songs “Coffin Nails” and “Rap Snitch Knishes.” They stayed with their sonic tribute to the late rapper, producer and pioneer with another classic, “Gazzilion Ear,” followed by “Deep Fried Frenz” off of Mm..Food. The following melody in line was 1976’s funk staple “Dazz” by Brick.

They continued with their theme of timeless songs with iconic basslines, taut beats and lawless energy as they moved from Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” then The Isley Brothers’ “Footsteps in the Dark” (which Ice Cube sampled on “It Was a Good Day”), into Warren G and Nate Dog’s “Regulate.” West Coast’s 1992 anthem “Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang” followed. Then, at Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird speed, they returned to the East Coast with a run of iconic New York staples, including Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Got Your Money,” A Tribe Called Quest’s “Electric Relaxation,” and The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Get Money.” They finished their musical exploration with the song of everyone’s first-ever slow dance, “True” by Spandau Ballet and a stilling cover of James Vincent McMorrow’s “Wicked Game.” They closed their set with “Summer Madness” and instrumental “Maria También.”

After a brief break, they returned to the stage one by one. Johnson climbed the stairs to his kit adorned in his poncho; guitarist Mark Speer slyly climbed his stairs dressed in all black with white boots, and Ochoa returned in a new electric yellow dress and heels to match her bass. For their encore, they played “Number 4,” then fan-favorite “White Gloves.” They continued with “Time (You and I) and The Universe Smiles Upon You’s “People Everywhere (Still Alive).” For the final of the cover and penultimate song of the evening, they covered “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)” by the timeless Crystal Waters, which led back into “People Everywhere (Still Alive).”

Saturday’s show saw many of the same songs with a few supplementations. During their introductory songs, they opened with “Rules” instead of “First Class” from Con Todo el Mundo and replaced “The Number Three” with “Dern Kala” off of The Universe Smiles upon You. “The Infamous Bill” also found its way a bit sooner. Finally, their encore featured “Dancer” by SNAP! in place of Crystal Waters’ “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless).”

Khruangbin will perform tonight at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. Find tickets here.

Khruangbin
Radio City Music Hall – New York, NY
March 9, 2022

Set: First Class, August Twelve, The Number 3, August 10, So We Won’t Forget, Lady and Man, Evan Finds the Third Room, The Infamous Bill, Pelota, Let’s Dance / Coffin Nails / Gazzilion Ear / Deep Fried Frenz / Dazz / Bennie and the Jets / It Was a Good Day / Regulate / Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang / Got Your Money / Electric Relaxation / Get Money / True / Wicked Game, Summer Madness, Maria También

Enc.: Number 4, White Gloves, Time (You and I), People Everywhere (Still Alive), Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless), People Everywhere (Still Alive)

Khruangbin
Radio City Music Hall – New York, NY
March 10, 2022

Set: Rules, August Twelve, Dern Kala, August 10, The Infamous Bill, So We Won’t Forget, Lady and Man, Evan Finds the Third Room, Pelota, Let’s Dance / Rapp Snitch Knishes / Gazzillion Ear / Deep Fried Frenz / Dazz / Bennie and the Jets / It Was a Good Day / Regulate / Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang / Got Your Money / Electric Relaxation / Get Money / True / Wicked Game, Summer Madness, Maria También

Enc.: First Class, White Gloves, Time (You and I), People Everywhere (Still Alive), Dancer, People Everywhere (Still Alive)