Young the Giant at Uptown Theater, Kansas City MO (2025-10-05)

In The Open turned out to be even more up-close and intimate-

Irvine, CA band Young the Giant wrapped the final run of their In The Open Tour in midtown Kansas City at the Uptown Theater, with a stripped down and heartfelt performance, unlike any other show we’ve seen from them.

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The evening began with a short but impactful set from Tennessee newcomer and Warner Records signee Cassandra Coleman, who’s released a handful of singles, including her debut song, ‘Coming of Age’, produced by in-demand producer Jack Antonoff who also brought his own band, Bleachers, to play on the track. Coleman’s blend of folk-pop with an ethereal edge, was played in a trio format (including her boyfriend on guitar) and on this final date of hers as tour support, she wasn’t entirely sure on what would be next.

Coleman has previously said about the first single (which finished her set), “This song is an homage to that journey of changing. A reflection on every moment that led to where I am now. The life Jack breathed into ‘Coming of Age’ took it into a new world. Like adding flesh to bones.” Another single, “Bite My Tongue” (also played) was featured in Season Two of Netflix’s Nobody Wants This, giving the one-time American Idol contestant an added bump, so it’s safe to say we’ll be hearing more from Coleman in the future.

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Young the Giant formed more than two decades ago in 2004, currently comprised of Sameer Gadhia, Jacob Tilley, Eric Cannata, Payam Doostzadeh, and Francois Comtois. They initially called themselves The Jakes (but changed that for the better) and eventually signed with Roadrunner Records in 2009, releasing their self-titled debut album the following year.

Their unique blend of indie world-pop music is at times experimental, and usually has a polished sheen, with lyrical themes of identity and being first-gen immigrants (something a few of us on staff can relate to). The band is currently signed to Jungle Youth Records through AWAL and has released a recent EP, In the Open Vol 1, resulting from their habit of stopping along the side of the road to perform stripped-back versions of their recorded songs in scenic, sometimes awe-inspiring locations.

Many of those acoustic performances were recorded on video, which became its own series entitled “In the Open”, inspiring a viral following of their own, and now the EP and resulting limited tour. Maybe our one small quibble was the show not being held in a large church, outdoor park, or near a KC landmark, but logistics would have been complicated.

So, instead, the Uptown Theater stage was treated as their living room (complete with a carpet from Gahia’s grandfather-in-law) with small soft lit lamps, suitcases and burning incense, further enhancing the intimate and comfortable mood.

The ninety-minute performance began with re-imagined versions of “Islands” and “The Walk Home” with Gadhia following by introducing why this was a different type of show for the band and the reasoning why they needed to reassess themselves and their music by going back to the core basics. “Our favorite shows are when things are going wrong…we still manage to pull through and find out more about ourselves in that process”, Gadhia said (and that would be put to the test, later in the show.)

Two of their first three hits followed, “Apartment” and “Cough Syrup,” which quickly brought the seated crowd to its feet (initial single, “My Body”, curiously wasn’t included.) “Ships Passing” is brand-new for the band and yet-to-be released but sounds to be another winner.

Cassandra Coleman beamed as she returned to the stage to assist on the harmonies of 2014’s “Firelight” and the lyrical vulnerability of 2010’s “Panoramic Girl” shined through even further in the stripped-down arrangement, with Cannata also making a musical statement with his meticulous guitar work.

“Bitter Fruit”, their newest song, was described by Gadhia as “about childhood, about youth, and about joy,” and the lyrics of 2016’s “Amerika”- trying to find a place in a country that is often strange and unrecognizable, still rings true, maybe to even more people today.

“Mind Over Matter,” the title track of their sophomore full-length, was considered a commercial disappointment at its time, but ten years later, the song has become their most successful, Gadhia explained, and he imparted the principle of persistence and saying, eventually the work will be rewarded, even if it takes a decade or more.

The band’s ability to adapt to circumstances did come into play during the intro of 2018 hit, “Superposition,” when Cannata’s charango, a South American ten-string lute, wasn’t properly feeding into the speakers. So, they skipped the song (to some audible groans) and moved on with Colemand again joining on an immersive version of Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 modern classic, “Chicago” (yes, YTG also played it the night before in the Windy City, but glad KC got it on the setlist as well.)

With the band previously stating there was no encore, this might normally signal the end, but the guitar tech was hard at work behind the curtain during the previous song. The charango was again in working order, so the set and the evening ended on a rousing cheer for the repair work, and the spanning and melodic song (that simply wouldn’t have sounded the same without the instrument.)

Instead of “in the open”, we were invited inside, to a stage version of Young the Giant’s “living room,” to re-examine the songs that fans know so well. This type of show puts the familiar a different light, and the band also re-examines itself and discovers its path forward, with help from the crowd’s reactions. Although they confirmed their return to the bigger rock show format next summer, we hope we’ll have another invitation into their’ living room’ again soon.

YOUNG THE GIANT at UPTOWN THEATER, KANSAS CITY MO (2025-10-05)

CASSANDRA COLEMAN at UPTOWN THEATER, KANSAS CITY MO (2025-10-05)