THE FINAL QUEST: THEO KANDAL IN LOS ANGELES

MOROCCAN LOUNGE - LOS ANGELES, CA

Theo Kandel and his entourage of musicians galloped into Los Angeles on Sunday night, bringing the VERY GREAT QUEST TOUR along with them. Fans gathered into the Moroccan Lounge, and were welcomed by the sight of a stage set with a dinner table adorned with candles, chalices, and - most importantly - Dobby the elf. This created the perfect ambiance for the intimate night that laid ahead. 

Annika Wells started off the night with a stripped-down acoustic set that had the room so still that you could hear a pin drop. She worked her way through the setlist carefully, delving into the lore behind each of the songs. Acoustic sets have quickly become some of my favorites, for the sole reason that you get to witness the song in its purest form, with no outside noise. That is exactly what Wells did, by gifting us with a performance of "Nightlight" that was without the “whomps whomps whomps” (per Wells). 

Shortly thereafter, Kandel’s crew of band members gathered around the table, establishing their posts alongside their instruments. The faint sounds of a horse galloping rang throughout the venue, and with it emerged Kandel himself. 

Perhaps one of my favorite qualities of Theo’s music is his ability to tell a story. This has also quickly become my favorite part of his live performances. Each song had its own moment, with Kandel organically taking the crowd through the roots of the song and how it came to fruition. 

He talked about how his song "Mourning Dove" was inspired by the mourning doves that he would see on his fire escape, and the beauty in the fact that they mate for life. We learned that "Sadness is a Sine Wave" was a result of Kandel grappling with grief and the complexity of human emotions. Lastly, my personal favorite: "7-10 Split," which we learned came from Kandel’s love for bowling and his desire to make a bowling song that, in his words, “wasn’t lame”. This eventually evolved into a song that intertwined bowling and the traumas of divorce. 

There is no doubt in my mind that Theo Kandel will quickly become a household name, and I would suggest hopping on the bandwagon now. I can’t wait to see how far his creativity will take him, and how it will grow alongside the size of his venues. His tour quest continues up the West Coast through September, so make sure you grab some tickets while you can.