Review and photos by Katrina Gelety

Earlier this month, Icelandic rock band, KALEO, brought their Payback Tour to the Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks, PA with Hembree as opener. It was Hembree’s first show of the tour, and it’s unfortunate that the prior cities did not have the pleasure of witnessing them perform. Not only is their music fantastic, but the band members are hilarious. My favorite moment was when they asked the audience to stop by their merch and say hi to them after the show, joking that they would appreciate if concert-goers bought merch because they had to pay a $30 toll on their way to Pennsylvania. Later on in the set, they clarified that it was technically an Indiana toll and said they love Pennsylvania and will come back to Pittsburgh anytime to perform. The band also thanked the audience several times for showing up early to catch their set. It’s nice when an opening act is not only fun but super gracious as well. I’m hopeful that this will not be the last time I see Hembree live.

After Hembree, KALEO took the stage with their most recent single “USA Today” which gave a powerful start to their set. One thing I noticed immediately during the show was how diverse the crowd was – especially in age. I saw many kids attending with their parents as well as older couples out for a date night. I think that’s a true testament to how good KALEO’s discography is. Anyone who loves blues and rock would love KALEO.

One of the highlights of the set, for me, was getting to hear “All The Pretty Girls.” I had the opportunity to visit Iceland in November of last year on a group travel trip. Perla, the absolutely delightful tour director, played our group songs from Icelandic artists during our drives. “All The Pretty Girls” happened to be one of those songs, and every time I hear it, I think of the beautiful scenery and fond memories I had in Iceland. 

The audience definitely had favorites when it came to certain songs on the setlist. Every single person in attendance was dancing to and LOVING the live performance of “My Gringo.” Another song I noticed was universally loved by the crowd was “No Good.” Each person clapped along to the beat and sang at the top of their lungs. Jökull Júlíusson’s vocals captivated the crowd with each and every song – rightfully so as his voice is even more incredible to hear in person. Also, I love any aspect of a concert that involves something you don’t get to see often, and I was thrilled when Thorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson played the harmonica throughout the night. Finally, I have to talk about the two guitars that caught my eye: an acoustic with skulls all over the body and an electric that had the flag of Iceland on it (pictures of both can be seen in the gallery below).

I had such a wonderful time watching KALEO perform. After Pittsburgh, the band played a show in Cleveland, Ohio which wrapped up their North American leg of the tour. Their European leg begins on November 2nd in Lisbon, Portugal. If you have the opportunity to see KALEO live, you should go! As previously mentioned, you can take a look at photos from the Pittsburgh show below!