KHRUANGBIN • John Carrol Kirby • June 1, 2025 • Ogden Amphitheater
Reviewed and Photographed by Marlo Matamoros
KHRUANGBIN performed at the opening show of the Ogden Twilight Concert Series on June 1st. John Carroll Kirby would join the trio and open the show. The Ogden Twilight series is an annual summer music event held in Ogden, Utah at the Ogden Amphitheater. Walking into the amphitheater one of the first things that I noticed were the food trucks and merch booth that were full of lines. I was excited to photograph here because it’s another event center I’ve never been to.
Many people wonder what their name KHRUANGBIN means. According to their Instagram bio, it means airplane. The trio came together as friends playing instruments together which would eventually turn into something big. In an interview, the trio mentioned that the lyrics come last when it comes to their music and there aren’t any words when recording a song. The Bass, drums, and guitar lead the charge. The trio usually records in a barn in the middle of Texas which has an impact on their music.
John Carroll Kirby
John Carroll Kirby is a keyboardist, producer, and composer. John Carroll Kirby has worked with many artists that I listen to such as Frank Ocean, Kacy Hill, Remi Wolf, Steve Lacy, and Harry Styles. The collaboration between John and these artists includes keyboards, production, and composition. He also contributed to Grammy Award-winning tracks such as “Cranes in the Sky” by Solange which won best R&B performance and was on Love For Sale, an album from Lady Gaga and Tony Bennet which brought home a couple of Grammy Awards.
I was excited to photograph and listen to the versatility that he and his band would bring. It was a warm afternoon as we waited for John and the group to hit the stage, the security in the VIP area handed out water to everyone in the VIP area. It was exciting to see many photographers ready to cover the show including the tour photographer for Khruangbin.
John would eventually hit the stage with four other bandmates including a standout flute player who really brought out the energy from the crowd. John would go on to perform one of my favorite songs from his catalog titled “Oropendola”. This song is off his album titled Blowout which is album inspired by his time in Costa Rica. This song specifically was inspired by the bird that would wake him up every morning at 5 am. I think this song is a great representation of the set and highlights the different musical instruments. Another song they would perform before their set would end is the song named “Rydeen” which is a cover of Yellow Magic Orchestra which is a Japanese electric band, and the song is from 1979.
Smiles filled the crowd throughout the whole set. It was time for another water break in between sets.
KHRUANGBIN
The sun would start dim as the photographers got ready and set up in the pit area. I typically photograph in lowlight venues, so it was a nice switch-up for the night. It was time for Khruangbin to hit the stage. “May Ninth” and “Ada Jean” played while we were capturing photographs of the trio. “May Ninth” is a great representation of their style which is the blending of soul, funk, and psychedelia. The song is also one of the few that contains lyrics. Some of the lyrics in the song are, “Waiting for May to come / Hoping for the rain.”
The stage was filled with light, architecture, drums, bass, guitar, and of course the trio. I would describe the stage design as dreamy and mellow like the song “May Ninth.” Unfortunately, after the first three songs, we were asked to leave the VIP area which is one of the best viewing areas for the amphitheater. The amphitheater was packed no matter where you stood. The bleachers were full and even the bandmates who performed with John were in the very back of the amphitheater
KHRUANGBIN’s music can be felt and still enjoyed without the best viewing angle though. The trio would continue their set with songs like “Two Fish and an Elephant” and “Mr. White” off their debut album, The Universe Smiles Upon You. Two of the last songs that were performed were “Maria También” and “White Gloves.” These two songs are about women and both include powerful messages. “White Gloves” is one of the first songs where Khruangbin would experiment with vocals and is also a song about the resilience of women. “Maria También” is also a song about resilience and the music video for this song is a tribute to Iranian women who were in the arts before the 1979 revolution.
At this point, the night sky was dark, and the stage was full of light that was illuminated better than before. What an experience this night was. It was filled with positive energy, color, and a trio with a very unique sound.