keshi Shows Houston There's No Place Like Home
- Andy Cantu
- Aug 9
- 4 min read
Long before keshi was set to hit the stage, fans were lined multiple blocks past the White Oak Music Hall waiting to get in for the show of the summer. The Houston born, Vietnamese singer songwriter brought his Requiem World Tour to his home town after postponing it last year, making it a highly anticipated show.
From the minute fans got a glimpse of keshi, they couldn’t help but cheer his name as loudly as possible. If fans had any doubts about whether or not his hometown show would be a special one, they knew they were in for a treat when he came out in a cowboy hat and an open jacket with nothing underneath. He opened the show with a row of back to back tracks off his sophomore album, Requiem, starting with “Amen” and ending with “Like That.”
It didn’t take long for keshi to declare his love for Houston and his excitement at getting to be back home. The first thing he said to the crowd was, “I’m home, bitch.” He followed it up with a heartfelt message telling fans that this was the show he had been waiting for all tour and that he was happy to finally be back in his home town, sleeping in his own bed.
With every performance, keshi showed himself to be a true superstar. With his powerful vocals and electric stage presence, he gave fans everything they asked for and more. He made sure to let Houston fans know that he was going all out for the show, telling fans “I only do this shit for y’all” when he took off his jacket to perform the rest of the concert shirtless. It’s no surprise then that Houston fans were the first to find out about the Friday release date for his new song “WANTCHU,” which he had been teasing throughout the tour. Fans were instantly obsessed with the new track and some even sang along.
In the middle of the show, keshi traded in his electric guitar for an acoustic guitar for a stripped down set, starting with his song “Soft Spot.” He opened up to fans about the making of the song, saying that although it was his favorite song he’d ever written, he was initially hesitant to release it because he felt that it was too sweet and didn’t fit the sound people had come to expect from him. Despite these fears, fans loved it, and it’s currently his most streamed song on Spotify.
One song Houston fans were eager to hear live was “Texas,” a nostalgic song about homesickness and yearning for days past. Illuminated by golden lights and wrapped in a Texas flag given to him by an audience member, keshi gave an unforgettable performance that was sure to leave a lasting impression on everyone in the crowd. Fans organized a banner project in anticipation of the performance, leading to a heartwarming moment where fans held up banners reading “welcome home” as he sang about missing his home state.
keshi was in a celebratory mood the entire night, taking three shots on stage and joking that his team usually cuts him off, but he can do whatever he wants because he’s home. He regularly looked out to the crowd to start conversations with fans like a man in a banana costume who, according to keshi, has been to every single one of his Houston shows. One fan held up a photo of his yearbook picture causing him to loudly question why someone would bring it because he looks awful, telling fans, “if you guys turn, look at that picture, you’re getting kicked out.”
While his vocals were the highlight of his performances, his guitar skills were just as amazing. From his first real guitar solo during “WANTCHU,” fans caught their first glimpse of his incredible talents as a guitar player. However, it was the immediate change in energy when he put away his acoustic guitar at the end of “summer” and brought out an electric guitar for “Inside Out” that really showcased his versatility as a performer. In a show full of highlights, the guitar solo in “Inside Out” is sure to stick out in fans' minds as one of the best.
Everyone in the audience was fully entranced by his performance, regularly cheering his name and singing along at the top of their lungs. Before his performance of “drunk,” he asked fans to sing the song as loudly as they could in order to beat fans from Toronto, who were the loudest city of the tour so far. He started the song himself, but he was only able to sing one word before fans took over for him. Even as he joined in for the verses, fans could still be heard singing along with him.
keshi ended the night with a bang, performing back to back high energy songs that made the audience wish the night never ended. Long before he played his official last song, “Euphoria,” fans were begging for more songs, dreading the end of the show. Luckily, he didn’t make fans wait too long for the encore, an emphatic performance of “Id” that ended with a long goodbye from him and the band.
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Written by Andy Cantu
Edited by Martina Yee
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