The Greek Theatre, packed with concertgoers in firetruck-red shirts and jeans — both nods to Malcolm Todd’s “Cute Shirt (Interlude)” and “Jean Skirt” — erupted in shrieks the second the lights went off to herald the arrival of the singer-songwriter.
Wednesday night marked the first of three concerts in Los Angeles for Todd’s “Do That Again” tour, titled after his sophomore album, released June 5.
Before Todd came out for his set, 54 Ultra, an artist who blends soul, Latin and indie-pop, kicked off the night with a lively set. 54 Ultra and his band primarily played original songs, plus a non-electric version of ANOTR’s “Talk To You,” which he was featured on. The set built up the crowd’s energy and had the audience waving their hands in the air by the second song, “Find Your Love.”
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After a 30-minute set, 54 Ultra exited the stage for a quick intermission before Todd came out. Half an hour later, the stage screen turned on to display a live feed of each band member coming out from backstage, accompanied by a booming announcer voice akin to a sports game intro.
When Todd finally stepped out, wearing a Canadian tuxedo, black sunglasses and a baseball cap, he and his band wasted no time jumping into “Jean Skirt,” immediately captivating the audience.
The first couple of songs were energetic and focused on musicianship, accompanied by minimalistic live close-ups of Todd on screen and red lighting to mimic the dominant color of the “Do That Again” album cover. After “Jean Skirt,” Todd performed the album’s first single, “Breathe,” followed by “Malcolm In The Middle.” From the beginning, Todd’s live vocal performance lived up to the quality of his recorded voice.
At the end of the third song, graphic visuals appeared on the screen, mainly as a transition as he swapped his red guitar for a silver model and slowed down the pace for a sultrier, wailier “Free.99,” showcasing his drawling vocals and the guitarists’ solo quality.
It wasn’t long before the audience was singing every lyric as Todd jumped into “Difficult Love,” “Ain’t That The Truth” and “Walk to Class.” At this point, the on-stage visuals — featuring static and a cloud-studded sky — continued to work as a transitional asset, appearing mainly at the end of songs to maintain visual flow throughout the set without overpowering the artistry on stage.
The concert became more visual-heavy at the start of “Bleed,” as the song was introduced by the beginning of its music video. However, it didn’t overpower the performance, as Todd used video clips sparingly throughout the night as more of an interactive play.
In “X’s & O’s,” for instance, the screen split vertically, displaying several movie scenes using a cord-line phone on one side while Todd sang the song into a corded phone instead of a traditional microphone on the other. The bit was logical, too, as he used the phone to illustrate the break in the song where he acts out a voicemail: “Pick up the phone, baby / It’s, uh, Malcolm, your boyfriend.”
These engaging moments continued throughout the night, with several women’s names popping up on the screen during “Obsessica,” while he sings them out in the song; With the visuals, the lyrics became a direct dedication to all the women in the audience. In “Chest Pain (I Love),” flashes of Todd’s face singing were swapped for iconic scenes from romantic comedies, pounding nostalgic emotion into the already pulsing, intense and emotionally charged song.
Todd also kept the show dynamic, switching between performing on the main floor area and an elevated platform, eventually pulling out a small piano to perform “Gun To My Head” and “Good Bye.” For the former, the crowd belted out the entire song. However, “Goodbye” made for a much quieter, intimate moment, as the audience remained silent and shined their phone flashlights, allowing Todd’s voice to shine through the theater.
At the end of the song, keyboardist Miles Tobel took a stab at the saxophone, one of the night’s unpredictable delights. After the segment, the band returned to its usual programming and powered through “Cheer Me On,” “Chest Pain (I Love),” “Earrings” and “I Saw Your Face”; both Todd and the crowd never lost any excitement.
Once Todd walked off the stage after what felt like a short set, the crowd begged him to come back out for more. He was clearly prepared, as the red and black visuals on the screen began to ask, “Should I sing another song?” The eventual answer came in the form of a Magic 8 Ball prophecy: “Do That Again.” And that he did.
Clips of Todd as a baby played on the screen as he came out for a three-song encore, starting with the titular song, “Do That Again.” He followed with the night’s first and only cover, “Leave It All To Me,” the theme song from “iCarly,” taking on a jumpy pep in his step — a necessary move for such an unserious song.
The show officially ended with Todd removing his shirt and bringing back his guitar to perform “Roommates,” which had the crowd singing the lyrics back to him, an earned ending to an engaging night.
