Making his Orlando debut, OVO singer PARTYNEXTDOOR sold out Plaza Live on Feb. 18 as part of the 42 show PND Live World Tour.
After fans patiently waited outside in a line that stretched around the building in 50 degree weather, PARTYNEXTDOOR came out to the aptly titled “Welcome to the Party.”
Once he finished “Welcome to the Party,” the opening track of his self-titled debut PARTYNEXTDOOR, he went through a few other cuts from the project such as “Right Now,” “Break from Toronto,” “Over Here” and “Make a Mil.”
Although having party in his name, PARTYNEXTDOOR carried himself in a mild manor. Despite being overly calm yet confident, it felt authentic rather than lazy, as he always carries a laid back demeanor. The slight energy he did give off was reciprocated tenfold by the crowd, which sang each song word for word with him.
He put most of his effort into his singing rather than his stage presence. The chill performance fit the slower part of his catalog, while felt restraining on the tracks that possessed more energy.
He transitioned into songs from his second project, PARTYNEXTDOOR TWO, which featured slower songs with more ambience than his debut. The lights dimmed and the colored stage lights turned on in addition to atmospheric visuals, which all helped set the mood. He sang tracks in the second half of the show including “Thirsty,” “Options,” “West District,” “Bout It,” and “Persian Rugs.”
During this part of the show, he left abruptly for around 10 minutes. When he came back, his vocals were louder and clearer over the noise from the crowd and instrumental. Although the leave mid-performance seemed unprofessional, for some reason it increased the quality of the rest of the performance. The sound was never too loud to overwhelm, a test most concerts do not pass.
Songs off of his latest EP, PNDCOLOURS, had accompanying video loops that played for each song. He performed songs from the latest EP at the end including “Don’t Worry,” “Girl from Oakland” and “Let’s Get Married.” He left the stage for “Juss Know” and disappointingly never performed it, but came back after to finish the last few songs.
He exited the stage, for the first time as planned, until the crowd chanted “Party” loud enough for him to return for an encore performance of his biggest song, “Recognize.” The music video has over 27 million views on YouTube and close to 40 million plays on SoundCloud.
The show was short, but extensive as he performed most of his material. His relaxed performance was well delivered, but increased energy and enthusiasm would have been a nice touch to match the crowd. PARTYNEXTDOOR might not be the greatest live show, but his charming persona, strong vocals and quality music will keep fans loyal.
The Hilights
Artist: PARTYNEXTDOOR
Tour: PND Live World Tour
Location: Plaza Live
Cost: $25
Note: Sold out
Rating: 3.5 stars