Following the hypersonic, glee-fueled warm-up from Couch, Cory Wong stormed the stage with his band, all dressed in matching âWongAirâ flight suits, as if preparing us for a magical musical take-off through the thick clouds of dry ice.
Even before the first note, the atmosphere was electric, and the explosive intro launched us into a set so tight, so rhythmically locked-in, that it felt like the start of some crazy American game showâpure controlled chaos, the party man was definitely in townÂ
The brass section was colossal, with trombone, trumpet, and an impressive range of saxophones spanning from a tiny soprano to a mammoth bari. The show kicked off with Lunchtime, its fast, razor-sharp jazz lines suddenly giving way to a hard-hitting rock groove, where each musician took turns riffing off the last in a series of solos, culminating in a frantic, unified frenzy of notes during Letâs Go. The effect? Absolutely motherfunking mesmerizing. Wong and the band were clearly having the time of their lives, and his effortless show-boat shreddingâfull of precision and playfulnessâonly added to the magic.
a multi-sensory whirl of Wong wonder"
Then came Assassin, and if the bandâs blistering technicality hadnât already been made clear, this track sealed the deal. The screen behind them displayed the actual dots, the cursor gliding through the densely packed bars as the band crammed an impossible number of notes into a few short minutes. Seeing the written music fly by in real time was surrealâa multi-sensory whirl of Wong wonder, where eyes and ears were equally overloaded.
a riotous explosion of skill, energy, and pure musical euphoria"
The brass section attacked the furiously syncopated lines with deadly precision, while screamy upper-register trumpet notes and harmonically outrageous saxophone solos soared above a bed of melodically intricate guitar and synth lines. The whole thing felt like a celebratory jam session, a riotous explosion of skill, energy, and pure musical euphoria.
As if things couldnât get any betterâand miraculously, with still more to giveâTema Siegel took the stage for Look at Me, her powerful, versatile vocals sitting effortlessly in the mix, soaring above the band in perfect unison. The sheer energy of itâcombined with the unfiltered joy radiating from every musician on stageâmade it a standout moment in an already euphoric night
a sign of the times that live music this good still exists"
Wong is the ultimate genre-bender. His marcato-staccato signature guitar style, his ability to blend jazz, funk, rock, and electronica into a seamless groove, and his contagious enthusiasm make his live shows feel like a communal celebration of music itselfâone that wouldnât feel out of place in Princeâs own Musicology.
The house knew they were witnessing something special"
The house knew they were witnessing something specialâso much so that one encore simply wasnât enough. Wong and his band returned for a second, finally closing with Dean Town (his Vulfpeck tribute and the track the crowd had been waiting for all night).
It was the cream, the icing on the cake, the cherry on topâthe final crescendo in a Mahler symphony, a sign of the times that live music this good still exists.
Cory Wong played The O2 Forum, Kentish Town – 2oth February 2025
Support from COUCH
(Couch review to follow)
