Brooklyn Bowl was flooded with excited fans on April 19; Daniel Seavey’s headlining Saturday-night show had been sold-out for weeks and the volume and energy in the venue was simmering with anticipation for his performance.
Daniel Seavey launched his solo career after ending a successful six-year journey as a member of Why Don’t We, a pop boy band. However, legal troubles forced them into a hiatus, with members going on separate paths. Nonetheless, their fans’ adoration has been unwavering. Seavey touched upon this sentiment, expressing his indescribable gratitude for their support, turnout to his show and loyalty.
The night’s openers were Kylekelly and Sombr. Kylekelly’s set displayed his incredible stage presence, guitar skills and powerful voice, including some of his recent singles and even a cover of “Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry. Kylekelly seamlessly transitioned and welcomed Sombr to the stage. At only 19 years old, Sombr has experienced rising stardom on TikTok as his songs “Back to friends” and “Undressed” continue to trend. Sombr took the stage to loud cheers from the audience, who echoed every lyric. His rowdy, funny opening performance made me a new Sombr fan for life.
(Shayna Kar)
During the brief intermission before Seavey took the stage, water was swiftly passed around the pit; as a frequent concertgoer this felt like a very meaningful gesture that added to the already high spirits in the room. A young girl up in the balcony started an engaging dancing game back and forth with fans in the pit, which made the wait for Seavey’s set feel like nothing.
When Seavey took the stage, the crowd erupted in applause. He was draped in a sleeveless cropped jean-jacket with “Second Wind” carefully embroidered across the back. Seavey started his set with “Waves” and “Second Wind,” where he took the time to actively interact with his drummer Johannes Gritschacher. Within the first few numbers Seavey hit incredible falsettos and guitar riffs while seamlessly transitioning from song to song, leaving the crowd buzzing.
The energy in the venue started to slow down as he walked over to the keyboard for “Leave Me Alone.” The lighting turned to an orange and yellow sunlight ambience with a spotlight shining on Seavey’s silhouette. The crowd whispered the preemptive “one, two, three, four” before an electric beat dropped and a shift to bright blue lighting occurred.
Following this shift, Seavey gave an acoustic rendition of “I Tried.” A highlight of the night was when fans nostalgically hollered the lyric, “and I’m still in the band” back to Seavey — in memory of Why Don’t We.
Next came — in my opinion — the best part of any Seavey show as far as TikTok has seen, the looper pedal portion; anyone who has yet to see a video of his ability to take song suggestions from the crowd and formulate it from scratch on stage, should look it up immediately. He started off with a crowd suggestion, “Rush” by Troye Sivan and stacked the bass, electric, acoustic guitar, cello, drums and harmonies together. Next he worked on “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5, which was close to angelic.
(Shayna Kar)
Towards the end of the night, Seavey stripped off his jacket and ran backstage mid-song during “Runaway” to surprise fans as he perched at the back left corner of the balcony. If there’s one thing about a Daniel Seavey concert, it’s that he truly appreciates individual connections with the fans and makes each corner of the room feel welcome.
To finish off the evening, he announced his last song and bowed before exiting the stage, only to then play the classic encore prank. Seavey, however, did it twice, bowing once more before ending the thrilling show with “Other People” — one of my personal favorite songs.
Overall, the night was filled with singalongs, wild dancing, a musical extravaganza and an adoring audience. Most importantly, between Kylekelly, Sombr and Seavey himself, no aspect of the show felt in-authentic.
Because of my personal connection to Why Don’t We, I was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude to be able to reminisce on something so nostalgic — while also feeling proud of how far Seavey has gone on his own. Daniel Seavey is absolutely a rockstar, whose stardom will continue to skyrocket. If he keeps it up, Nashville might have to host him in Bridgestone next year!
