Orlando, FL – There’s more to David Kushner than “Daylight” — much more.
Kushner proved that to a packed house at Hard Rock Cafe Orlando on Wednesday, his rich baritone and sugary falsetto supporting a long setlist featuring mostly songs from debut album Dichotomy. And yes, he did close the encore with the song that’s racked up more than a billion Spotify streams.
“Darkerside” opened the setlist, setting the driving tempo for “Humankind” and “Poison” behind it. The first real pause came before “Sweet Oblivion,” giving Kushner a chance to talk about the story behind the song and its connection with his Christian faith.
While a backing band kept Kushner note perfect, he did break out a guitar multiple times to accompany his songs, including the poignant “Mr. Forgettable.” It was a peek at the pre-fame Kushner only a few short years ago spending long nights in his parents’ garage working on songs.
“Sweet Oblivion” was the first of the songs I was anticipating, with “Dead Man” to follow. Both are powerhouse anthems and the live performance did them justice.
By and large the songs hewed close to their album versions, with the occasional extra falsetto or Orlando folded in for the crowd’s benefit. Live renditions of “Heaven Sees” and even “Skin and Bones” exposed an almost R&B feel lost in the album mix.
The appeal of Kushner’s music lies in its melancholy and the deep voice that delivers it. These are not pre-party hype songs, but tracks for autumn walks, staring at the stars and heartache. That shines through strongest on tracks like “Cigarettes” and “Elk Grove” which showcase Kushner’s falsetto.
“Miserable Man” was the first encore track, a gloomy singalong from the EP that started Kushner’s momentum, Footprints I Found. A spoken word interlude ramped up the anticipation before Kushner plunged into “Daylight.”
I’m not Kushner’s primary audience; Wednesday’s crowd skewed heavily toward young and female. And while my tastes in music are pretty eclectic, I only found “Daylight” last year on the recommendation of my teenage sons. That tracks. I’m of an age that barely opens Instagram, much less the TikTok platform that catapulted Kushner to fame. But I am a sucker for singer-songwriters (hello Zach Bryan and Hozier), and Kushner’s warm, honest music checks all my boxes.
In that respect, the universal appeal of Kushner’s music unites any dichotomy between audiences.
Setlist
- Darkerside
- Humankind
- Poison
- Sweet Oblivion
- Mr. Forgettable
- Dead Man
- No High
- FleshxBlood
- Burn
- Heaven Sees
- Elk Grove
- Cigarettes
- Skin and Bones
- Love is Going To Kill Us
- Buried at Sea
- You and Me
Encore:
- Miserable Man
- Daylight
