The Porter Robinson Concert Experience
Tinfoil Hat Edition
The last time I visited Rockefeller, about 80% of the crowd were middle-aged men in leather jackets. So, stepping into the venue this time and seeing a sea of brightly colored hair and mostly young people was quite the contrast.
I hadn’t listened to much of Porter Robinson’s music before. I knew he started out as an EDM artist but has since experimented with several genres. His latest album is a blend of pop, My Chemical Romance-style emo, and a with a hint of chiptune. It’s okay, somewhat forgetable.
Going in, I wasn’t sure if this would be a DJ-style set or a live performance. That question was quickly answered when Porter took the stage, backed by a full band and a massive anime-style kitten doll. Behind them, a giant LED screen displayed lyrics and music video clips. Some of his songs rely heavily on voice modulation, and rather than using a pre-recorded track, he had someone doing the effects live. More on that later.
To hype up the crowd, he kept dramatically raising things over his head: his guitar, his microphone stand. It was as weird as it sounds.
About midway through the concert, he asked if anyone in the crowd played League of Legends. A surprising number of people screamed in response. As a League player myself, all I can offer is my condolences. Anyway, apparently, Porter had made a parody of the song he wrote for Riot Games back in 2022—one with lyrics more in line with the actual gameplay experience. But he kept forgetting the words, restarting multiple times and missing notes. It felt like a genuine and intimate moment.
Which is exactly when I put on my tinfoil hat.
Was this really spontaneous? A quick YouTube search later revealed that he seems to mess up this parody a lot in live performances. Maybe he just struggles to remember the lyrics every time. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s all part of the show. I know, I know—I’m being a fun-hating conspiracy theorist. And I’m probably wrong.
After a couple of slower songs—perfect for a beer run—Porter switched things up. The floor was literally bouncing under the weight of the crowd. I don’t know if Rockefeller designed it that way or if they just pray it holds every night.
As the concert neared its end, Porter gave shout-outs to each member of the band, as well as the front-of-house crew and the guys handling the live sound modulations—the “Ableton guys,” as he called them. “I always get a lot of shit for not shouting them out, so this time I made sure to do it,” he joked.
Then came the kitten’s dramatic demise. This involved summoning the deflation crew to slowly shrink the massive stage prop while Porter laughed about how ridiculous the gag was. After that, the band left the stage—only to return for the encore.
During the final song, the Ableton guys screwed up. Porter, still on his shout-out high, immediately called attention to the irony of finally giving them credit, only for them to mess up. Which, of course, activated my tinfoil hat again. Was this too conveniently timed? Probably not. But also… maybe.
All in all, an enjoyable experience.
