Some artists have that rare ability to transform a venue into a pulsating organism of sound and energy. On April 5, Djo—the musical project of actor-musician Joe Keery—did exactly that for a third consecutive night at Portland’s Revolution Hall. The band entered the stage awash in dim, green lighting, entrancing the sold-out crowd with the hypnotic opener “Runner.” The synth-heavy “Gloom” followed, with its brooding undercurrent setting a perfect contrast to the euphoric reception from the audience. 

The setlist struck an impressive balance between tracks from Keery’s three albums, with tracks like “Roddy” and “Chateau (Feel Alright)” drawing back to 2019’s Twenty Twenty album. Keery’s vocals soared through Revolution Hall’s intimate acoustics, particularly during the dreamy “End of Beginning” from the 2022’s breakout DECIDE, which transformed the venue into a collective swaying mass.

The night’s special moment came with the live debut of “Charlie’s Garden,” a track from Djo’s latest album, The Crux, which was officially released this week and showcases how Djo’s sound continues to (quickly!) evolve with each record. The track’s intricate layering and unexpected tempo shifts had the audience completely captivated. “Gap Tooth Smile”, another track from The Crux was high-energy moment and, of course, the lead single “Basic Being Basic” created a fun spark for the audience.

What made the Djo show remarkable wasn’t just the music—Keery has a truly magnetic stage presence that puts the crowd at ease and in the moment with each other. You can see, hear, and feel the genuine passion coming through his work on the stage, creating an atmosphere that was enjoyable for all ages in the crowd. If there was anything to nitpick, each of the three nights featured a very similar setlist, but it was the opening nights of the tour so hopefully the band continues to experiment with the flow and introduce more variety as the tour progresses.

The encore opened with the peppy “Back On You”and by the time it culminated with the pulsating “Potion,” the crowd was utterly spent yet still craving more. Three sold-out nights in Portland and not a hint of energy depletion—hopefully Djo is back here soon.