Welcome to the March edition of The Cauldron’s monthly concert roundup series, reviewing and recapping the previous month’s entertainment offerings. Want to add your experiences to future articles? Contact us.
Oliver Tree
March 6th, 2022, with Sueco and 347aidan.
Do I only see artists with TikTok hits, or does every artist just have a TikTok hit at this point? Last month, I saw Caroline Polachek, artist behind “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings,” UPSAHL, artist behind “Drugs,” and the ever viral Magdalena Bay and Dorian Electra.
This concert was a triple threat. Opening the show was Sueco, behind TikTok hit “fast,” followed by 347aidan of “Dancing in My Room” fame.
Sueco, to his credit, came with a portfolio of pop punk tracks that showed versatility beyond the viral hit, and control of the room to match. His fans are dedicated, and his performance was entertaining, including inviting a fan on stage to smash his guitar and sending shrapnel into the audience. Maybe before saying MGK is the return of pop punk (did it ever leave?), we should check in with Sueco first, who’s got the sound, the voice, and the corny lyrics to continue the genre.
Headliner Oliver Tree knows how to put on a show. Every second of this performance was entertaining to the maximum. From riding in on a cow, to playing a 7 foot guitar, to live scooter tricks, Tree is as much a comedian as he is a musician.
While touring for his newly released album, Cowboy Tears, which had come out the week prior, Tree did an excellent job of incorporating his entire career’s work, including visuals and outfits from his 2020 album, Ugly is Beautiful.
“Life Goes On” was our third TikTok hit of the night, but the performance had a twist. An imposter took the stage, reading lyrics off his phone for several painful minutes before being booed off the stage. That imposter? Logan Paul. No, really.
Returning to the stage, Tree yelled “Everyone’s welcome at an Oliver Tree show except Logan Paul!” to the loudest applause of the evening. Joined on stage by alter ego Little Ricky ZR3, Tree performed “1993,” and Ricky performed the unreleased “On My Blind Side”, buying time for a set change into an old western scene, complete with an outhouse and cowboy hat clad stage hands.
The second half of the show began with Cowboys Don’t Cry, and was shortly followed by fan favorite Freaks & Geeks. Having not embarrassed the polarizing Westlake native enough, Tree began a chant of “Fuck Logan Paul,” who then stormed the stage to get his revenge.
Oliver Tree’s unexpected antics and impressive musical performance made this an incredibly memorable night.
Learn more about Sueco, 347aidan, and Oliver Tree. The Cauldron was provided complimentary tickets for an unbiased review.
Madeon
March 8th, 2022, with Yung Bae
Madeon has long been one of my favorite artists. In fact, he was my first-ever concert, 7 years prior at the House of Blues. Known for his live performance talent and sampling skills, Madeon’s career has grown exponentially still then, with collaborations with Porter Robinson, Lady Gaga, and more, and an overall refinement of his creative and musical vision.
The show was in the Masonic Temple Auditorium, a brand new venue for me. Built in the 1920’s the opulence of the historic building was in stark contrast to the electronic acts performing. It’s grandness also highlighted another fact: the room was empty. Arriving an hour after the doors opened, I was still able to find a spot on the barricade easily.
As the opener, Yung Bae, started, it was evident that the people who were there were there to have a good time. This was one of the more social shows I’ve been to, and I was soon making friends with other fans.
Thankfully, the room began to fill, and anticipation rose for Madeon to take to the stage, a simple tiered platform with a large screen behind it. The stage design was a key component of the show, as he was largely stationary behind his keyboards or microphone.
The show began with All My Friends, one of the bigger hits off of Madeon’s Grammy nominated album Good Faith. The energy was immediately high, and the audience was taken in by the stunning visuals.
The music was seamless, and the the dancing never stopped as he worked through his set, weaving in his older and newer work, including a mashup of Finale and Nirvana, You’re On and Be Fine, and more.
Comparing it to my first Madeon show, the most striking difference was his confidence and stage presence as an artist. This thought was exemplified in the final act of the show, where he stepped onto an elevated platform and performed the remainder of the show elevated, literally and figuratively.
Crowd reactions throughout showed Madeon’s connection with his fans to be far more than superficial. While my experience is certainly guided by nostalgia, the performance was incredibly strong, but might’ve benefited from a more appropriately sized venue.