Keshi At the Kia Forum

By: Jesse Zapatero

All Photos By: Kenji Chong

There’s something magnetic about the way Keshi takes the stage. At his Kia Forum stop in Inglewood, it felt less like a massive arena show and more like an intimate gathering where every lyric landed like a personal confession. The moment the lights dimmed and the first notes hit, the energy in the room shifted—10,000 voices ready to hang on to every word.

Keshi has always called Los Angeles his second home, and that was clear from the way the crowd erupted for him. The Forum felt electric, especially during “drunk,” when the audience’s voices nearly drowned him out. He laughed, shook his head, and let us take over—it was one of those moments that made the night feel special, like LA really did out-sing every other city.

The setlist was a perfect mix of nostalgia and the new. Hearing tracks from THE REAPER, GABRIEL, and REQUIEM brought me right back to when I first discovered him, and the fact that he layered those songs alongside his recent viral hit “WANTCHU” kept the momentum alive. “WANTCHU” in particular hit differently live—the bass rattled the floor, and Keshi’s honey-smooth vocals gave it a raw edge you don’t get through headphones. He closed the night with “Id,” which built into a soaring, emotional finale that left the whole Forum swaying together.

What stood out most wasn’t flashy production or over-the-top visuals—Keshi doesn’t need that. The stage setup was simple, clean, and effective, with lighting that framed his presence rather than distracting from it. He carried the show on his vocals, his guitar, and his ability to connect. He roamed across the stage with an easy charm, pointing into the crowd, waving at fans in the back rows, and making everyone feel like they belonged in that moment with him.

The vibe inside the Forum was unmatched—screams, tears, phones lighting up the rafters. At one point, Keshi just stood there, looking out at the sea of faces, almost overwhelmed. It felt like a full-circle moment: an artist who built his career from SoundCloud, now commanding an arena with nothing but his voice and his sincerity.

Walking out of the Kia Forum that night, the word that stuck with me was genuine. Keshi doesn’t put on a persona when he performs—what you get is the same honesty you hear in his music, only magnified. The Requiem Tour in LA was more than just a concert; it was proof of how far he’s come, and how deeply his songs resonate with people.