By Cameron Lee
August 2, 2026
Photo: Phillip Gripper / CLTure
It’s been a long time coming for Tame Impala fans in Charlotte to finally see the psychedelic music project of multi-instrumentalist and producer Kevin Parker in the city. First scheduled to perform in Charlotte in 2020 on The Slow Rush Tour but canceled because of the pandemic, six years and a new album later, fans finally got their wish as Tame Impala made its long-awaited debut in the city.
Following the release of Tame Impala’s fifth studio album, Deadbeat, in October — which marked a shift from Parker’s signature stadium-sized psychedelic rock toward a more electronic sound infused with house, techno, and disco influences — the show was a mesmerizing audio and visual spectacle, highlighted by a circular center-stage setup and a spellbinding light show.
Opening the show was Djo, the musician-turned-actor Joe Keery, best known for his role as Steve Harrington in the hit sci-fi horror series Stranger Things. The charismatic multi-instrumentalist and co-founding member of Chicago psychedelic rock band Post Animal shared the same visual production setup as the headliners, another advantage of the circular stage design. Too often, opening acts for arena and stadium headliners are left performing in front of minimal production, with draped-off stages that offer little in the way of visual appeal and atmosphere.
Djo’s set at times felt like a headlining performance of its own, with the crowd reaching nearly 90% capacity by the middle of his set — many seemingly just as eager to see the actor-turned-musician perform live and hear his viral hit, “End of Beginning.”
Keery, who has cited Parker and Tame Impala as major influences on his musical project Djo, brings a sound rooted more in alternative ‘90s-inspired pop rock while still sharing Parker’s affinity for experimentation. He also starred in Tame Impala’s music video for “Loser” from their latest album.
Casually strolling onto the stage beneath fiery red lights and haunting synth notes, Djo opened his set with his 2025 single “Awake,” an eerily simple yet abstract track that evoked the horror and sci-fi atmosphere of Stranger Things. Backed by three additional band members on keys, guitar, and drums, the tempo and energy lifted with “Basic Being Basic,” a synth-driven pop jam reminiscent of the quirky, groove-heavy sound of ’90s alternative rock band Cake.
He stepped behind the keys for the bubbly “Charlie’s Garden,” a whimsical, Beatles-esque number inspired by the lush backyard of Charlie Heaton — who plays Jonathan Byers in Stranger Things — where Keery spent time writing music while filming the series in Atlanta. Commanding the stage throughout the performance, he moved around the circular setup, walking and dancing between songs before closing the set with a rousing rendition of his dreamy hit “End of Beginning.” The crowd erupted as soon as the song’s opening drums and shimmering synths echoed throughout the arena.
It was an impressive performance from the multi-talented actor and musician, who now has three full-length solo studio albums to his name: his 2019 debut Twenty Twenty, 2022’s DECIDE, and his latest release, The Crux.
At 8:48 p.m., Kevin Parker and his bandmates walked through the crowd and onto the stage to the soothing sounds of ocean waves — a recurring element in Parker’s creative process, as he has often spoken about recording music in studios near the coast in his native Australia.
Wearing a blue cardigan with his signature scruffy hair and beard, Parker paused to take in the capacity crowd of more than 17,000 fans before picking up his guitar for “Apocalypse Dreams,” the track from his 2012 sophomore album, Lonerism, and the first of four songs performed from the critically acclaimed record.
With lights beaming into the crowd and setting the stage for the visual spectacle ahead, the circular LED screens descended over the stage as the word “DEADBEAT” scrolled across them. A techno-inspired instrumental interlude built anticipation before transitioning into “Borderline.” The funky, disco-inspired, danceable track finally got the crowd moving — an audience that was somewhat stiff throughout the night.
Taking time to casually connect with the audience multiple times throughout the set, Parker and the band created an intimate atmosphere inside the arena, making the massive Spectrum Center feel more like a mid-size music hall.
“We all made it, we all made it here tonight, we’re together. I’m so happy about this. However you got here, you got here,” Parker said to loud cheers. “And also, we made it — like, Tame Impala finally made it back to Charlotte.”
A spectrum of rainbow colors erupted across the stage and into the audience during “Borderline,” as the band stretched the song’s danceable, industrial synth-driven outro into an electrifying live jam. The psychedelic spectacle intensified moments later when laser beams cascaded onto the stage, making it appear as though Parker and the band were being summoned by aliens during the spacey instrumental “Gossip” from 2015’s Currents.
The thunderous guitar riffs and pounding drums of “Elephant,” the fan-favorite track from Lonerism, brought the arena to life. Strobing lights pulsed as the translucent LED screens continuously shifted, revealing Parker and the band from every angle through live camera feeds and enhancing the immersive 360-degree experience.
Parker then showcased his signature high tenor and airy falsetto on “My Old Ways,” the opening track from Deadbeat, circling the stage as blue lasers flickered in every direction before transitioning into the soulful psychedelic pop anthem “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards,” prompting one of the night’s biggest singalongs.
Then came perhaps the show’s most unusual, yet planned, moment of the tour. Parker casually walked offstage and into the concourse of Spectrum Center for a scripted bathroom break, with a live camera following him all the way to the restroom and back. He reemerged on a small satellite platform away from the main stage — decorated with antique lamps and a patterned rug — to perform the techno-y Deadbeat tracks “Ethereal Connection” and “Not My World.” The cozy setup evoked the feel of a living-room house show before the production shifted back to the center stage.
A sea of blue enveloped the stage before the unmistakable horn-like synths of “Let It Happen” rang out, igniting one of the night’s biggest dance moments as fans on the floor jumped and grooved through the song’s extended instrumental breaks, while the first confetti drop of the night showered the audience in a cascade of colors.
One of the night’s biggest highlights was the sweeping, emotional ballad “Eventually,” as shifting light structures illuminated the arena and the song’s ethereal keys washed over the crowd. Fans swayed and sang along to a breathtaking live rendition of the celestial track, creating a moment that truly felt like a dream.
A second confetti drop happened during “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” before the band exited the stage to prepare for the encore, greeted by chants and a sea of phone lights waving throughout the arena. Returning in a glow of blood-red lighting, Parker and the band launched into “Dracula,” the biggest hit from Deadbeat, before performing one of Tame Impala’s most recognizable songs, “The Less I Know the Better.” As the light structures shifted again with an array of colors, Parker took his final laps around the stage.
It was a night well worth the wait to witness the musical mastermind Kevin Parker, who constructs nearly every layer of Tame Impala’s music himself yet has created a sound that has resonated with listeners around the world. While some fans may have hoped for more songs from his 2020 album The Slow Rush, the performance delivered on the promise of Tame Impala’s dreamlike soundscapes, hypnotic grooves, and breathtaking visual production.
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Setlist:
“Apocalypse Dreams”
“Deadbeat Jam”
“Borderline”
“Loser”
“Breathe Deeper”
“Gossip”
“Elephant”
“Afterthought”
“My Old Ways”
“Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”
“No Reply”
“Ethereal Connection”
“Not My World”
“Let It Happen”
“Nangs”
“Why Won’t They Talk to Me?”
“Piece of Heaven”
“Eventually”
“New Person, Same Old Mistakes”
Encore:
“Dracula”
“The Less I Know the Better”
“End of Summer”
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