Live Review: Grandson at the Fillmore in Charlotte

Photos and Review by: Jordan Lester

Lineup: Grandson, K. Flay, De’Wayne

Venue: The Fillmore, Charlotte, NC

Date: May 27, 2023

Hot off the heels of the release of his second full-length album, grandson (aka Jordan Benjamin) made a stop at the Fillmore in Charlotte, NC for his I Love You, I’m Trying tour. He was supported by K. Flay and De’Wayne.

The first performer of the night, De’Wayne, warmed the audience up. He had a great stage presence, complete with great music. The next up was K. Flay – an artist that can sell out a venue this size all by herself. She ran through a performance that had the perfect balance of being the right amount of songs for someone of her stature while also allowing the headliner to shine. She even ran through an awesome cover of “Bulls on Parade” by Rage Against the Machine.

The minute she stepped off stage the crew began to get to work on clearing the openers gear and setting the stage for grandson. A street light, a park bench, and a sign with the albums title adorned the stage. When he entered, he sat, face down, as the album opener “Two Along Their Way” blared through the speakers. But, in true grandson fashion, he started the first song with a bang. They quickly transitioned to “Drones”, a great song to set the tone for the evening. As soon as the show got started he and the band made their way through a great selection of his songs, moving at a break-neck pace through cuts like “Something to Hide”, “Oh No!!!”, and “Overdose”. The show would slow down for songs like “Rain” or “Heather”, as he made his way into the middle of the crowd to sing the song. But, what was made most apparent throughout the night was that grandson is breaking huge ground this album cycle, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.