REVIEW: Kaytranada and Justice in Oakland
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY ELIJAH CLOWER ☆
KAYTRANADA RETURNED TO THE BAY AREA FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HIS TIMELESS TOUR STOP IN BERKELEY LAST YEAR, and somehow he managed to raise the bar again. I went into this show without digging into any spoilers or set videos, so while my expectations were already high, I didn’t anticipate being this blown away. At this point, I’m convinced: if Kaytranada is performing anywhere within reach, I’m going. His team knows how to build a show — not just a DJ set, but a full experience that pulls you in and keeps you there.
Kaytranada opened the night, which can sometimes take away that "final performance" energy, but he still had the set of the night for me. I had previously shot Justice’s Spring tour, so I was familiar with their current setup. While their set hits hard, their visuals are stunning, and the crowd clearly loves them, didn’t offer anything new this time around. Kay’s set, on the other hand, felt fresh.
The biggest move of the night was the stage design: Kaytranada set up on a 360° platform in the middle of the floor, completely surrounded by fans. In-the-crowd stages always unlock a different connection — you’re in the music, not watching it from a distance. Throughout the set, the stage would ascend into the air, lifting him and the energy of the room with it before lowering back down into the dance floor haze. It turned the arena into something closer to a warehouse party with arena-level production — lasers, movement, smoke, rhythm, all flowing together.
Justice closed the night with their signature cinematic intensity: heavy lighting design, glowing cross imagery and that signature mix of electro-rock and industrial pulse. Still a great closer, still visually impressive, just something I had seen very recently. Kaytranada, on the other hand, is in his own lane right now. He didn’t just play the show, he shifted the atmosphere…again.
And after this, I don’t see myself missing a Kaytranada date in the Bay ever.
