GALLERY & REVIEW: KAYTRANADA’s TIMELESS NIGHT IN THE BAY
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY ELIJAH CLOWER ☆
SUNSHINE OR RAIN - Kaytranada put on a Timeless back to back performance at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley for its second night (Pun fully intended). With a sold-out audience, the night was lively from the opening moments, thanks to Lou Phelps and Channel Tres, whose blend of hip-hop and funk brought immediate energy. His set was a fitting start, aligning perfectly with the style and vibe that Kaytranada is known to curate.
Rain started to fall during the opening set of Lou Phelps and continued all night with some breaks here and there. Nevertheless the show must go on, and it did. The night even got a funny anthem as both Channel Tres and Kaytranada yelled out “F*ck the rain” a couple times throughout their sets which was pretty funny. Kay’s production and stage design has definitely landed in my top 10 (specific spot unknown currently) from this year. The 2 big standouts were his full backdrop LCD screen that was the backbone of the production and his long overhead lighting that would drop down behind him a couple of times throughout the show. I can’t say it enough that from both a photographer and fan perspective, great lighting and stage design is really appreciated and not valued enough by many artists. It is something that really elevates a show on all levels.
Kaytranada’s setlist was a balanced mix of tracks from his latest album, Timeless, along with crowd favorites from previous records. Some standout moments included his remixes, particularly his take on Beyoncé's "CUFF IT" and Kelela's "Waitin," which drew enthusiastic responses from the crowd. Throughout the night, Kaytranada maintained a solid connection with the crowd. “Witchy” was my favorite of the night. His stage energy and vibes were completely unmatched compared to 90% of the other shows I’ve covered this year. Kay was dancing and vibing the entire set which brought a warm joy and contagious energy to myself and to the crowd. The feeling was like when someone has a smile that you can’t help but smile when they do, if I had to make a comparison.
“This is a party, not a concert,” said Kay, showed the strengths that have propelled his career to international acclaim: a deep understanding of rhythm, genre fusion, and a clear dedication to creating music that will stand the test of time. The album title couldn’t fit any better in my opinion. This wasn’t a show about flashiness or excessive hype—it was about feeling the music in real time, together.
