Concert Review: By Hyper Beats, Porter Robinson wrote "Smile! :D" on many faces - Daily Bruin

Times of discover News: The Grammy-nominated DJ played his "Smile! :D World Tour" Friday night at one of Los Angeles' most iconic venues, the Hollywood Bowl. The self-taught sensation has gained momentum in the dance and electronic realms since he signed to Skrillex's record label, OWSLA, in 2011. In the 13 years since the release of his first EP, "Spitfire," Robinson has toured extensively nationally, but the release of his latest album, "Smile! :D," marks his first foray into the international scene.

Before embarking on his overseas tour later this year, Robinson changed the vibe by performing a highly entertaining — albeit sometimes inconsistently paced — show in Hollywood, California. At 8:31 p.m., the crowd cheered loudly as Robinson entered and the stage was adorned with a giant inflatable cat. Pink lights lit up the venue and the night kicked off with the debut of hit single "Knock Yourself Out XD." The words "Bitch, I'm Taylor Swift" flashed on the electric screen, encouraging the crowd to sing along.

This was immediately followed by a track Robinson says L.A. audiences will relate to because the lyrics criticize superficial appearances, and jokes about how much he loves Brazilian butt lifts during the "Kitsune Maison Freestyle" bridge. After the beat dropped, a stagehand brought out a large blue cup, showing fans what the next song would be. Robinson sat in the oversized prop and played the opening notes of "Cup Year" from an acoustic guitar.

Between the soft sound and the black and white filter on the screen, the performance looked like a video of The Goo Goo Dolls. During the intro, the background instruments cut out, leaving Robinson's voice stranded in space until a guitarist raises the energy by dropping a cup during his fun solo. Slowing down the pace of the night once again, lightning and thunder erupted on stage for the lyrical song "Easier to Love You" - which Robinson dedicated to, of all people, Peter Griffin of "Family Guy."

The next act kept the mood chilling by asking the question, "Is there really no happiness?" Throughout the song, screens popped up asking the audience if they remember the feeling of a baby teething or the feeling of seeing their first Porter Robinson concert. Before the next song began, pink lights streamed from the left to the right side of the stage, and attendees swayed in time with the rhythm.

The energy of the night picked up again when the first notes of "Mona Lisa" began playing through the speakers. Violent red lights drove the song home as inflatable balls were thrown into the crowd and the audience jumped around uncontrollably. Robinson then asked for his ball back and also did a favor that few knew about - asked the audience to put their phones away for his next number. While doing so, the musician sang a rousing cover of MGMT's "Kids." As the stands filled with Robinson fans, the immortal words of this indie anthem sent the crowd into a frenzy.

The cover finished, people pulled out their phones and Robinson climbed onto the stage's elevated platform. There was a dramatic build-up of strobe lights and low booms that culminated in a slow song. With the phone back in hand, attendees' flashlights illuminated the Hollywood Bowl and the DJ asked the original fans to raise their hands, prompting cheers from the crowd. In the interlude after the song, a digital voice performed concert clichés, such as shouting out the name of the city in which the performance was taking place, and when the words "Los Angeles" appeared on the screen, people shouted accordingly. The lyrics and chords of "Russian Roulette" are etched onto a screen from internet posts, Robinson holds a finger gun to his head and red confetti explodes at the edge of the stage, inspired by the song's discussion of suicide. The night ended with a dazzling light show and a noisy soundscape and the stage went dark as the crowd finished their tour of the album "Smile! :D."

But almost immediately they lit up the stage again and the concert continued. What appeared to be an encore extended into a brief replay of "Nurture" from the artist's second album, 2021. Beginning the segment with a drop-kick-boom, it quickly lost momentum followed by a lengthy discussion about Robinson's favorite video game, "League of Legends." In response to the loss of momentum, the audience began taking their seats as the segment progressed. Robinson ran into the crowd to meet some of the audience's demands, and then the bloated dog was lowered and the stage went dark again. This change began in the third half of his career, as he was an outstanding performer.