Theophilus London Announces New Album 'Musa' After Show in LA: StereoVision Concert Vlogs
Theophilus London Live at the 1720 Warehouse in LA // Photo by Jeff Yumi
On Wednesday, September 15th, I stood with fellow StereoVision co-founder Miles Hagan and our photographer Jeff Yumi behind 1720 Warehouse, a hidden treasure in the LA nightlife scene. Theophilus London had just concluded an electric performance and the three of us were still riding the live music high that we had been removed from for so long. We were waiting to talk to London, excited to pick the brain of someone who has been a part of so many great records, but he was nowhere to be found. After ten more minutes, we began to slowly accept the fact that he had cut early and wandered out to the venue’s floor. That’s where we found Theo, hiding in plain sight, making sure that every fan had a chance to talk to him before leaving the venue. This simple act of appreciation embodied the palpable connection that Theo builds with his fans, a connection that fueled his performance and made his show in LA one I won’t forget.
Theophilus London, prolific tastemaker, producer, songwriter, and performing artist is surrounded by extreme “if you know you know” energy. While the average music fan might not be familiar with his work, his name is mentioned in the same breath as Pharrell Williams, Devonte Hynes, and Kanye West amongst music heads everywhere due to his impressive songwriting catalog and unique sound that he’s pioneered in his own solo music. While waiting for the show to start we talked with people in the crowd about when they first started listening to London and their favorite tracks of his. To no surprise, the majority of those we talked to have been supporting Theo for seven or more years (2014 marked the release of his sophomore album Vibes) and nearly every person had different favorite songs - a trait that speaks volumes about the depth of his catalog and the overall quality of his work.
The show started around 9:30 with Parks, a multi-faceted creative with a smooth style kicking off the night with some hypnotizing bass solos and silky vocal accompaniment. Next to the stage came Annahstasia, a Nigerian-American singer-songwriter who captivated the audience for her entire set with just her beautiful voice and simple guitar strums. Her extremely powerful voice was only outdone by her songwriting which communicated complex and confusing emotions through easy-to-follow stories and intuitive realizations. We caught up with Annahstasia after her performance to ask her where she drew inspiration from for her impactful songwriting:
“Lately, I’ve been inspired by watching the outside from inside. Having a moment to step back and observe human behavior and (ask myself) why we do things. Everything’s just a big why right now.”
Theophilus London Live at the 1720 Warehouse in LA // Photo by Jeff Yumi
We were also happy to hear Annahstasia say that she’ll be dropping more music very soon, make sure to be on the lookout for that as it’s sure to be special.
Theophilus London arrived on stage just before 11PM walking out to his smash hit “Can’t Stop” which features Kanye West. From the moment he stepped on stage in his striking cowboy hat, he had the audience in the palm of his hand through his strong singing, infectious dancing, and brief stints where he managed to do both while DJing. After starting the show with a couple of his older fan favorites, London got into his excellent 2020 album Bebey with the fun, new-wave Caribbean sounds of “Only You,” “Marchin,” & “Cuba.” It was clear to me that old and new fans alike loved the new album as the entire crowd sang along in unison to most of the songs performed.
Around midnight Theo seemed to finish his setlist, but with everyone in the room having such a good time (including himself) he decided to continue playing and began taking crowd requests. Wedged in between these fan picks, London played some unreleased songs that have us extremely excited for the artist’s next release, a project titled Musa that we can expect in May.
All-in-all Theophilus London’s show in LA was the perfect reintroduction to live music - an inspiring performance in a spacious venue. While speaking with Theo after the show, he related the concert to a basketball player’s first game back after an injury saying that while he felt a little rusty, there’s no comparable feeling to getting to do what you love especially when it’s been taken away from you for so long.
Thanks for reading! Make sure to watch our vlog from the concert linked above and check out photos from the event below. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram to stay up on the hottest new music.
