In the final week of the US leg of his debut headlining tour, David Kushner brought The Dichotomy Tour to a sold-out crowd at the Van Buren in Phoenix, AZ on November 18 with support from Henrik. The singer-songwriter is touring in promotion of his sophomore album The Dichotomy, released in August of this year. 

Henrik Hoeldtke, known as Henrik, found success when he emerged on TikTok in 2019. His music has evolved over time, with his initial music falling within the pop-rock realm, and his newest music having more of a folk feel (or, as he describes it, “South Jersey Music”). Henrik describes his music as being for fans of artists like Noah Kahan, Zach Bryan, and The Lumineers. The singer was greeted to screams from the audience as he took the stage, kicking off his set with “Grace”. It was clear he had a solid fan base within the crowd, as many could be heard singing along with all of the songs. Henrik jokingly introduced himself as Ed Sheeran as he revealed his similar red locks to the crowd. The audience was treated to a set of 9 songs, including a cover of “Stick Season,” during which he challenged the crowd to sing louder than Dallas, the city he had deemed the loudest crowd on tour to date. The audience accepted the challenge, shouting every last word to the song. Henrik noted a fan requiring medical attention during the song, promptly stopping the set to ensure staff was alerted to the situation and that the fan’s needs were addressed. After the situation was resolved, Henrik continued the set, finishing out with “Half of Forever,” a song which saw major success on TikTok and which he credited for changing his life. Henrik released a new album, titledCedarcliff, this month, available for streaming on all platforms. 

HENRIK | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | TIKTOK| SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC

David Kushner has been enjoying great success since his song, “Miserable Man,” went viral on TikTok in 2022, becoming a global hit that topped the charts in countries all over the world. The Chicago native, now based out of Los Angeles, amassed over 500 million streams that year, and his success has only continued with the release of his second album, The Dichotomy, in August. The crowd was buzzing with excitement as he took the stage, opening his set with “Darkerside,” “Humankind,” and “Poison,” all tracks from the new album. The singer took brief moments to provide insight into the meaning behind some of the songs, as well as to discuss how his faith has influenced his perspective on life. Kushner explained that “Burn” was about a relationship gone wrong before dedicating the song to those in the audience who had ever been in a toxic relationship. His hauntingly beautiful vocals were tight throughout the entire performance, as he effortlessly conveyed raw emotion and captivated the audience with every note. The large majority of the 18-song setlist consisted of tracks from the new album, with the viral favorites from Footprints I Found mixed in. It was clear that the new album has been well received by fans as they sang along to all of the new tracks. Kushner ended his set with “You and Me” before returning for the encore. The crowd chanted “David! David!” as he returned to perform “Miserable Man.” Kushner left the stage for a moment after the song. Fans began to chant requests for “Daylight” as spoken word began to play on the stage. Kushner returned to the stage for a powerful performance of “Daylight” that had the crowd singing so loud that it was difficult to hear his vocals at times. As fans poured out of the venue, their excitement over the performance was palpable, with many already buzzing about what the artist has in store next. 

The US leg of The Dichotomy Tour closes out November 23 in Oakland, CA. In February, the Europe and UK leg of the tour kicks off in Stockholm, SE. Tickets for the remaining US dates and the UK & EU dates of tour can be found here. The Dichotomy is available for streaming now on all platforms. The singer is also set to release a Christmas song, described as a song “for anyone having to face a not-so-happy Christmas,” this December. 

DAVID KUSHNER | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | YOUTUBE