"The Houston bred singer/songwriter blends together hypnotic vocals with flower petal melodies that can make you feel like crying and smiling at the same time." - Hey Listen

Schubas | Sunday, September 15 | 7PM | All Ages

Tickets: $15.00 advance / $18.00 door

Keshi: https://keshi.bandcamp.com/

With special guest..

Zac Greer: https://soundcloud.com/zacgreer

Worlds collide, and alchemy ensues.

Inside the music of Keshi, ethereal melodies and lo-fi beats entwine with handcrafted instrumentation and understated guitar wizardry, emitting modern transmissions by way of a traditional beacon. This bold blend of R&B, hip-hop, and pop remains a signature of the Houston singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist born Casey Luong. Tallying over 40 million cumulative streams independently and inking a deal with Island Records, he uncovers bits of himself in each and every song.  

“Keshi is literally the most undiluted parts of my being that come out,” he exclaims. “I’m not copying anything. Instead, I’m fleshing out a little spot for myself. It explores sultry R&B crooning, but there’s also a level of old school songwriting and melodic sensibility I learned from playing so much guitar. It all speaks to who I am.”

At 12-years-old, Casey initially decided to pick up the instrument. His grandfather possessed a “fat classical guitar” and a music book in Vietnamese. From there, he taught himself how to play and developed a deep passion for music, “sitting in front of the computer for hours on end every day and soaking it all up.” His influences grew from All Time Low and John Mayer to Frank Ocean, The 1975, Drake, and Bryson Tiller as he learned production on GarageBand throughout high school.

Following graduation, he kicked off a career as a registered nurse. In between grueling shifts, he shared an early composition entitled “if you’re not the one for me who is” online. He entered it into a competition on a Joji reddit fan page. Receiving “validation from strangers for the first time,” he continued to share more songs online. “over u” made waves on Spotify and generated over 7 million streams as “just friends” surpassed the 9-million-mark. Meanwhile, he claimed real estate on popular playlists such as Low-Key and antipop with his 2018 breakout THE REAPER EP, boasting “like i need u.”

Everything set the stage for his Island Records debut, SKELETONS EP.

“THE REAPER combined classic writing and new production,” he elaborates. “Whereas THE REAPER is melodramatic in a romantic sort of way, SKELETONS is melodramatic in a grown-up sort of way. A lot of people my age are trying to figure out how to live life on their own after graduating college, getting jobs, and moving out. The transition sucks. You realize the real world isn’t what you thought. I’ve seen most of my friends have trouble coping. I’m combining their stories and mine in the music. At the same time, I’m exploring guitar in ways I haven’t before.” “summer” and “atlas” preceded the project as he unveiled its heart on the single “xoxosos.” His falsetto glides over lithely plucked acoustic guitar as he confesses through vocal modulation— “All we ever do is have sex anyways”—before a glassy seductive chant.

“I was going through a rough patch with my girlfriend,” he admits. “It felt like all we were doing was coming home, fucking, and fighting. I was wondering if there was any merit to the relationship anymore. The song is overt as it shows a fear of leaving what’s comfortable. I like writing about those strange vulnerabilities you have with someone you’re so close to.”

Meanwhile, “Skeletons” shares the “exhaustion with my routine as a nurse and wanting something more” over delicate strumming and stark production.

Within this framework of catchy and confessional off-kilter pop, you’ll get to know Keshi.

“When you hear me, I want you to realize it’s okay to be vulnerable,” he concludes. “All of my skeletons are out for the taking, so don’t be ashamed of yours. I’m being as real as I can be. The closer it is to my heart, the closer it is to everyone else’s hearts.

Location:

3159 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657-3226, United States

More Info (External Link)
Posted 
August 25, 2020
 in 
Arts/Entertainment

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