grandson
30th January 2024
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand
Review by Sarah Kidd with photography by Doug Peters.
The level of excitement outside one of Tāmaki Makaurau’s favourite music venues – The Powerstation, last night was palpable as fans lined up early to ensure a coveted barrier position for grandson’s first ever live performance in Aotearoa.
Originally hailing from New Jersey, grandson (aka Jordan Benjamin) first started releasing music almost a decade ago. His talent was quickly recognised, the release of ‘Blood // Water’ a brilliant track about political corruption that graced multiple billboard charts cementing what his fans already knew. This was an artist with something to say.
Opening last night’s proceedings, the fantastic local act Coast Arcade, who brought their own brand of indie style rock and roll to the stage. Having released their debut EP ‘Next to Me’ halfway through last year the quartet featuring the amazing Bella Bavin on vocals and lead guitar, laid down a set to be proud of. Definitely one to watch out for!
With a simple set up consisting of a peaceful backdrop of trees in the forest and a street sign that read ‘I Love You, I’m Trying’ (the title of grandson’s latest album released last year) the lights dropped as the last bars of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen, which the audience both young and not so young had been howling along to faded into the background. This track is a rather important feature of grandson’s set, as he believes in the community spirit of music, and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is a track that no matter what genre you follow, no matter what age you are, everyone knows it, and everyone sings along to it. Arms were slung around shoulders and friends sang in joyful exaggerated tones to each other. It truly was a sight to behold and one that brought instant smiles to faces.
Moving onto the stage, grandson stood quietly in the darkness, his face in his hands silently sobbing as his guitarist Leo and drummer Tobias moved into position. As the fans stepped in closer all the while continuing to cheer the room exploded in heavy bass drops accompanied by pulsating blue lights, grandson launching straight into the killer track ‘Drones’ the crowd going wild as grandson and Leo threw themselves about the stage.
“Auckland, fucking New Zealand!” grandson addressed the audience before him, “we didn’t come all this way not to throw down! We are grandson, from LA, California!”. The fans certainly didn’t need it, but this short and intense introduction only fuelled them more as they bounced in time to grandson’s hand motions encouraging them to do so.
Stepping back and allowing the house lights to rise, grandson proceeded to deliver a heartfelt and humorous speech that included thanking Coast Arcade for their time and talent, and how he was the visitor here in our land and how genuinely welcomed he felt.
But it was what he said next that truly resonated with everyone present. He stated that he hoped everyone felt like they had permission to feel this music, to experience it in the live setting in any way that they saw fit and to share and enjoy that experience with the people around them; for this was the community of live music.
Anyone that has been an avid concert goer understood exactly what he meant in that moment. That feeling of joy, sorrow, of release that certain songs by your favourite act live could elicit from one’s soul. To experience that in the company of hundreds of others who were feeling those same emotions simultaneously. There is no other feeling like it in the world.
Injecting some humour into the moment, grandson laid down the rules; if he said “jump”, well you jump. If you know the words, sing them! Doesn’t matter if you can’t sing, do it anyway. And if a mosh pit breaks out, you mosh, but pick up the fallen, make everyone feel welcome, and if you drop your phone, well the guy next to you now has a new phone, a wry smile weaved its way across his face.
Speech out of the way it was time to get back into the music, and grandson did so at break neck speed with the frenetic ‘6:00’ that frankly blew the fans away, grandson almost looking possessed as he grappled with the microphone stand and stomped across the floor, Leo matching his energy on guitar while Tobias wielded the sticks like a human windmill. Stripping his jacket off, he revealed a Silver Fern shirt, the entire venue cheering in appreciation as he rubbed his hand across his now shaved head and enquired as to whether everyone liked his new haircut, the iconic curls no longer present.
grandson was on a mission and while there was certainly banter in between, his personality shining through easily, it was all about the music; tracks such as ‘Overdose’, ‘Rain’, ‘Eulogy’ and ‘Stigmata’ performed in quick succession but never feeling rushed.
Addressing the crowd once more, grandson spoke of how privileged he felt to be able to perform songs that meant so much to him, and that addressed tough topics such as politics, corruption and the importance of recognising the rights of indigenous peoples in what felt like to him a welcoming and safe space. Undoubtedly his followers felt the same as songs such as ‘Stick Up’ and ‘WWIII’ were performed with such power that it felt like they were hearing them for the very first time.
The electro-poppy track ‘Dirty’ kept spirits high, before grandson warned that it was about to get sad, and that for the next track, he wanted to come down and sing it with everyone. What followed was a beautiful moment, as grandson moved into the middle of the floor and the audience gently enveloped him in a halo of phone lights for the moving track ‘Heather’, a tribute to a fan who sadly took their own life. “I’m so glad that you are all here, keep being here, I know life is hard, but keep going”. At that precise moment, the true spirit of a community brought together by a collective love for an artist was felt by everyone present.
Climbing back onto stage, ‘Despicable’ allowed the room to shake loose, a definitive highlight from the 2018 EP A Modern Tragedy Vol. 1, it was followed quickly by ‘We Did It’.
Suddenly a man appeared and started handing out water bottles, those who had followed grandson since the early days knowing immediately what they were for; grandson politely requesting people not to drink them, but instead have them at the ready for when he signalled during the next song.
‘Blood // Water’ was the perfect set closer, the audience moshing while watching grandson like a hawk for the aforementioned moment; his arm raised he whirled the bottle of water above his head, those in the crowd who held bottles doing the same and shrieking with delight as arcs of water shot across the front rows.
Moving to the front the trio handed out set lists, drumsticks, and pics to waiting hands, their grins signalling their gratitude. A fan leaned forward and handed grandson the national Māori flag (Tino Rangatiratanga) which he held with reverence before waving it.
This is what live music is all about.
grandson:
Coast Arcade:
Were you there at Powerstation for this superb genre-bending show? Or have you seen grandson perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Setlist:
Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.
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