Ken Carson
Terminal 5
August 20, 2024
By Shrithik Karthik
CHAOS. That was the only way to describe this show. Ken Carson came to Terminal 5 on August 20th and gave a performance that may have been one of the most unique shows I have been to this year. Maybe even of all time for me.
It started with a unique venue for an artist known for moshpits. This venue had three floors that were all (for the most part) general admission, meaning you could go anywhere to watch the show; however, everybody was packed at the bottom. This definitely had its positives, but one of the only things I disliked was how HOT it was in that venue. If I said it wasn’t a million degrees in that venue, I would be lying because, wow, it was crazy in there.
Back to the good stuff! 2Hollis was the opener, and before this tour, I had never heard of him before, but WOW, was I surprised and honestly so glad he was the opener. He did an incredible job, getting the crowd hype for Ken to come on and bringing the energy. His music could be classified as hyperpop, but whatever you call it, it sounds immaculate live. The crowd gave him the energy that he deserved because the pits were going crazy for him. His performance made me a fan of him, and I hope he gets the fame and hype he deserves as his career grows.
After a short intermission, it was time for Ken to come on, and truly, it might have been one of the craziest performances I’ve ever seen live. The second the intro came on, the venue exploded and rose at least 20 degrees. The set design was unique; it was a platform on rails where Ken stayed for most of the show. It didn’t matter because the amount of fog and CO2 made him pretty much invisible for most of the show. It didn’t matter because if you were in the pits, you were there to mosh and go crazy.
Performing for about an hour, all I can say is that his music sounds insane live, with his crazy vocals, his screams, and the aura he emitted from his show practically unmatched. No matter what song he played, the crowd went crazy for it; at a point, I was questioning how the audience even had the energy to keep going because I swear they were giving it their all the whole time, nonstop. Seeing Ken live has been on my bucket list, so I was happy I could catch them on their first night in NYC. This was an unforgettable show and worth it in every which way.
He recently announced a second leg of his tour in places he’s never been to, so if he’s coming to a city near you, you must catch him before the tour ends. I promise you it will be worth it!
