The arts and culture editors were invited to The Foundry in Philadelphia to enjoy a night of indie rock with the band Krooked Kings on April 18. The rising band recently released their fourth studio album, “In Another Life,” on March 27. This marks the band’s return to full-length albums since their 2024 project “Shiver.”
The album “In Another Life” evokes the feeling of driving on a warm summer day with the windows down and the sunroof open. This vibe carries into their live performance and the crowd’s reaction. One song that hits the nail on the head with that vibe is their single “Parking Lot,” with lyrics in the chorus like, “screaming at the top of our lungs,” which makes the performance feel like summer in a small indoor venue. It was my favorite track of the night.
The show opened with the album’s first track, “Telephobia,” making the album opener the tour opener and marking a great start to an even better show. While the venue wasn’t packed with people, there was space to enjoy the music while still having a great view.
A major highlight of the show was keyboardist Quinn Casper’s birthday, which happened to fall on the day of the show. A fan in the crowd pointed out the occasion, prompting the lead singer, Oliver Martin, to lead the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to Casper. Casper appeared to appreciate this moment, judging by his reaction on stage.
The band ended their show before the encore with “Coming of Age” and then returned and performed three more songs, “Catacombs,” “Damage Control,” and “Sick of Being Young.” Overall, this performance felt raw and real, and I loved it. As a type of concert that I typically would not attend, it was a great introduction to the genre and made me want to go to more shows like it in the future.
