When I think about the artists most suited for a performance against the backdrop of the grove at McMenamin’s Grand Lodge in Forest Grove, Oregon, KALEO is high on the list. The band’s soulful combination of blues rock and folk is the perfect vibe for a concert on the lawn under the shade of the oak trees.

Currently touring the United States in celebration of 10 years since the release of their breakthrough album, A/B, KALEO stopped at McMenamin’s Grand Lodge on July 1, 2026, playing all but one song from A/B as well as a handful of other hits.

It was the first show of the season at McMenamin’s Grand Lodge, and the audience for KALEO was diverse — whether you were sporting a battle jacket with patches, a sundress or cowboy boots, you fit right in.

KALEO opened their set with “Still No Good,” a bonus track from their recently released deluxe edition of A/B, and went into songs from their more recent records: “Bloodline” from 2025’s Mixed Emotions and “Break My Baby” from 2021’s Surface Sounds. After the more fast-paced rocker intro, they went into their main set of songs from A/B, starting with the emotional “Save Yourself” and bringing tears to the eyes of fans at the front.

Rather than playing through A/B from front to back, KALEO chose to order their set list with the majority of their slower and more emotional songs sandwiched in the middle, a strategic move that meant the audience had plenty of energy for dancing in the later half of the set.

Halfway through the set, “Automobile” and Surface Sounds’ “Hey Gringo” got people off their feet and dancing. Couples and friends clasped hands and twirled circles around one another to the country-inspired anthem “Automobile” while the disco-inspired blues song “Hey Gringo” got the crowd singing along and moving their hips.

After playing a few more tracks from Mixed Emotions and Surface Sounds, as well as “Vor í Vaglaskógi,” the cover of a popular Icelandic song that catapulted KALEO to fame, they ended their main set with “No Good,” the first track off A/B.

The crowd knew, however, the show wasn’t over, as we still had yet to hear “Way Down We Go,” arguably KALEO’s most popular song in the U.S. The crowd cheered as KALEO returned to the stage for their encore and frontman Jökull Júlíusson took his place behind the piano center stage, switching from guitar to playing keys for “Way Down We Go.” After “Way Down We Go,” KALEO ended their set with a bang, playing “Rock N’ Roller” from their 2013 self-titled debut album with a rainbow light show for the finale.

Sadly, while KALEO played “Glass House” at previous shows on tour, it was omitted from the set this night. Still, the set was packed with songs showcasing KALEO’s depth of influence and range of genres, giving the audience something for everyone to enjoy, whether it was dancing, singing, or crying that night.

In support of KALEO, singer-songwriter Vincent Lima also tugged at the heartstrings of the audience, opening the evening with his emotional anthems on piano and acoustic guitar, accompanied by cello.

KALEO full set list:

1. Still No Good
2. Bloodline
3. Break My Baby
4. Save Yourself
5. All The Pretty Girls
6. I Can’t Go On Without You
7. Automobile
8. Hey Gringo
9. Hot Blood
10. USA Today
11. Vor í Vaglaskógi
12. Skinny
13. Back Door
14. No Good
15. Way Down We Go
16. Rock ‘N’ Roller