Christian Kuria
Review

Review & Photos by Ricky Bantog

House of Blues | San Diego, CA

February 26, 2023

As I walked into the dimly lit venue, the sound of smooth, soulful melodies immediately filled the air. The stage was set with a warm glow, and I, along with a sold out venue filled to the brim with fans, eagerly awaited the arrival of up-and-coming R&B artist, Christian Kuria. 

The Bay Area native has been making waves online with his heartache filled jams since the release of his first EP, Yearlong, back in 2019. Since then, he’s dropped a full length album, Borderline, and this past November, he released to critical acclaim his highly anticipated and far too relatable second EP, Suspension in Disbelief. Now he’s on the road for his first headlining world tour, aptly named The Suspension of Disbelief: World Tour. 

For this stop of the tour, Dash George and Malia warmed up the crowd, but both artists could have easily been headlining acts. Dash George was the first to hit the stage and her incredible stage presence had the crowd bobbing their heads and screaming for more. Malia, on the other hand, had the entire crowd’s attention with her sweet, melodic vocals that rode so smoothly over the sounds of her electric guitar. Crowd favorite was most definitely her cover of Daniel Caesar’s “Get You” that she performed for her unplanned encore.

After a short break to set up the stage, the main event of the night finally arrived. Kuria took the stage at 9:45 PM on the dot, the crowd cheered, my goosebumps set in and I knew I was in for an experience. “Faded paint on your Impala/Red is never gonna look the same” came through the speakers and Kuria immediately had the entire audience captivated. His voice was smooth and velvety, and it was clear that he poured every ounce of emotion into his music. The way he effortlessly blended his vocals with the live instrumental was a testament to his incredible talent as a musician and live performer.

As the show continued, he weaved in and out of songs from his entire discography; taking fans on a journey through his musical evolution. But midway through his set, he checked in with the audience and asked if he could play the song that brought all of us here–hinting at the next track on the set list. The crowd gave their enthusiastic approval and an upbeat melody took over the entire venue. Phones quickly went up into the air to capture the moment as the crowd moved to the sounds of the bass guitar and drums.”I could spend a lifetime and eternity/Tryna get your love,” the first line of his 2019 hit, “Vain,” reached my ears and once again my goosebumps set in. 

Soon enough, Kuria reached the end of his final song–a bittersweet moment that we all knew would eventually come. He endlessly thanked the crowd before making his way off the stage, but the entire room refused to leave. Chants for “one more song” quickly filled the venue with hopes to prolong the concert high. And just like that, Kuria and his band were back on stage to close out the sold out show with “23rd Street.” The ideal track to cap off a truly unforgettable experience.