For his Smile! 😀 tour, Porter Robinson performed at 713 Music Hall in Houston on Sunday, October 6th. Porter Robinson and his crew put on a beautiful show that took us on a journey through the different eras of his musical career. It was nostalgic and almost spiritual in nature, while also being super fun and lighthearted.
The first thing I’d like to mention is the stage setup. After ericdoa’s set, the crew brought out a gigantic inflatable cat. The crowd made so many comments about the cat, but the funniest was when an audience member shouted, “I would die for you, smile cat!” The set design was impressive, featuring a giant billboard with another screen behind it displaying a cityscape. It felt immersive, and the visuals were perfectly paired with each song. Many of the visuals highlighted song lyrics pulled from Google searches, fan posts, and articles about Porter Robinson, and even displayed the chords playing at that exact moment. Some visuals early in the night had a nostalgic, mid-2000s YouTube lyric video vibe, making me both giggle and reminisce. Seeing glittery, Myspace-esque text on a giant billboard next to an inflatable cat was a surreal moment. I love singalongs, so having the lyrics on screen made it easier to join in—though it’s probably the reason I lost my voice afterward.
He performed with a live band, and they were incredible. His bass player, Margot, was featured as a vocalist several times throughout the concert. Her voice was beautiful, complementing Porter Robinson’s style and blending perfectly when they harmonized. The lead guitarist also had some amazing solos. The blend of digital and analog sounds was so well done, thanks to the engineering and the live musicians. I truly don’t think the concert would have been the same without them. They added so much to the performance, and I hope Porter continues to bring a live band on tour.
The setlist was also very interesting. Not only did he play nearly every song from his newest album, Smile! 😀 (nine in the first part and one during the encore), but he also included songs from his earlier eras. He kicked off the night with tracks from Smile! 😀, and the first prop we saw was during the song “Year of the Cup,” where he brought out a giant blue solo cup. Audience members jokingly asked, “What’s in the cup?” several times, and at one point, while drinking from a smaller blue cup, he responded, “I could be drinking prune juice; you just got fooled! None of your goddamn business what’s in the cup!” Another fun moment was when huge inflatable balls featuring the Smile! 😀 album cover were tossed into the crowd. My favorite part of this section was when they covered “Kids” by MGMT. Porter asked the audience not to record it because he believed the song would be more fun with everyone off their phones—and he was absolutely right. Watching the crowd dance, including myself, was so much fun, and everyone respected his request. There was also an unreal amount of confetti. One of the most memorable moments came towards the end of this section, with heart-shaped red confetti falling during a beat drop. I’d never seen confetti in that shape before, so I took some home—it was so cute, and I loved it.
The next part of the setlist was from his Nurture era, which hit me the hardest. The album, written during a time when he struggled with mental illness and writer’s block, made me feel both melancholic and uplifted. When I described the concert as spiritual, this section was what I meant. “Something Comforting” and “Get Your Wish” stood out, but “Trying to Feel Alive” and “Look at the Sky” were the most emotional for me. The lyrical content, music, and visuals stirred up so many conflicting emotions. “Trying to Feel Alive” is about questioning the purpose of creating music, which then transitions into “Look at the Sky,” a hopeful song about the future and the music yet to come. As a musician and creator myself, this part of the set was incredibly relatable, and I wish I had discovered it earlier than at the concert.
The final part of the show brought us back to his beginnings with the Worlds era. The giant inflatable cat was taken away, but it was replaced by glowing orbs that Porter hit as if playing them like an instrument—a really cool visual that added energy to this part of the performance. During this section, you could really hear his video game music influences. The standout tracks were “Goodbye to a World” and “Sad Machine.” The crowd sang along, and the beat drops had everyone jumping and dancing. By the end, if the crowd wasn’t already tired, they certainly were after this! I know I was! The encore began with “Shelter,” arguably his most popular song, and it was a blast to dance to. He closed the show with “Cheerleader,” the lead single from Smile! 😀, donning the red and black wings from the music video.
Overall, this concert was a treat from beginning to end, filled with energy from both Porter Robinson and the crowd. Porter even said it was the best show and audience he’s had on the tour so far. If you haven’t seen him live, I highly recommend it—even if you’re unfamiliar with his music. It was fun from start to finish, and I would love to experience it again. If you want to see more tour dates or explore his music, check out his website: https://porterrobinson.com/. His site is also fun and interactive, so I suggest playing around with it!
Photos by Ashton Normand:
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