David Kushner’s “The Dichotomy Tour” at Pier 17, 9/27
On the night of September 27th, the cool open air of The Rooftop at Pier 17 was filled with the lush sounds of David Kushner’s debut album, “The Dichotomy”.
Despite just having released his first full-length record, David is no stranger to success; he has already made a name for himself through his 2022 EP “Footprints I Found”, featuring fan-favorite songs “Mr. Forgettable” and “Miserable Man”. His biggest breakthrough yet, however, came from last year’s viral hit “Daylight”, which currently sits at just over one billion streams (yes, billion with a “b”) on Spotify, a feat that many artists can only dream of. The emotional, orchestral folk-pop track resounded all over social media, especially on TikTok, where David boasts nearly five million followers.
The album, true to its title, explores many dichotomous themes and personal struggles; love and lust, heaven and hell, faith and sin. David’s music is heavily inspired by his Christian faith, often incorporating religious allusions and metaphors in his lyrics. However, the essential themes of darkness and desire are universally relatable. “The music is about my faith, but it’s also about my various experiences, dealing in the human condition and finding personal meaning that applies to everyone,” Kushner said.
The show was opened by up-and-coming New York native ROSIE, who has also released new tracks recently in a series of singles. Her acoustic guitar and sweet, authentic voice was a fitting accompaniment to David’s set.
Following ROSIE’s performance, David was welcomed to the stage by a cheering, overjoyed crowd. He opened the set with “Darkerside”, a track from the new album with an irresistibly catchy chorus (I can’t get the “oh why, oh why” out of my head) and a story of resisting dark thoughts and temptation. David performed many of the tracks on “The Dichotomy”, including standouts such as “Sweet Oblivion” and “Skin and Bones”, to a crowd of fans who already knew many of the words, even though the album was just about a month old at the time. He didn’t neglect his older releases, though, giving songs like “Burn” and “Elk Grove” their time to shine as well. He of course ended with “Daylight”, proving that the live version lives up to the track’s viral success.
The deep bass of David’s voice paired perfectly with the stunning views of the New York skyline that The Rooftop enjoys, creating the atmosphere of a summer night even as fall approaches the city. It seems we’re in an era where vocal-centric folk pop is having a mainstream resurgence. Hozier is at the top of the charts for the first time in years, Noah Kahan has had an incredible moment in the past year, and newer artists like Benson Boone and Teddy Swims are breaking through. David Kushner, with his unique voice and personal lyricism, is quickly carving his own place in this musical sphere. As he continues his ambitious tour throughout the U.S. and Europe, I imagine his career will continue to grow further.
As my first time photographing a concert, it was both an exciting and anxious night for me, but the supportive environment only made me more eager to pursue a new journey.