After not being on a New York stage since 2022, Corbyn Besson just made his post-boyband solo debut at the Gramercy Theatre on March 23. With him being away from the live music scene for so long, this show was that much more worth the wait.
Last month, Corbyn announced his debut solo performances since the Why Don’t We days: two concerts in New York and Los Angeles, The (Head) First Shows. Having just dropped his first solo EP, HEAD FIRST, in January, fans have been dying to hear the new music performed live.
Tanner Grigoli opened the night with his 30-minute set. He played some of his original songs (plus a couple unreleased), and he also got the crowd going with two iconic covers: “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” by Shawn Mendes and “Steal My Girl” by One Direction. He even meshed one of his own songs with Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.” If people in the audience didn’t know him before the show, they definitely do now. His acoustics and fun stage presence helped warm up the crowd.
A little after 9pm, the lights dimmed, the intro track played and Corbyn Besson came on stage. The crowd went so crazy you couldn’t even hear the first few notes of the song. He opened with “Kiss,” the first track on his EP. Once he started his choreography with his backup dancers, the room blew up.
From there, he sang “Tied Up” before going into “Love Me Better,” his first song he released as a solo artist.
Corbyn then went into “Don’t Run” and “Panic,” his collaboration with NOTD, then smoothly transitioned into “Summer,” bringing his dancers back on stage. He kept the crowd hyped up with “No One Else,” his song with Two Friends that they performed together at their Lollapalooza Aftershow. He even jumped down to dance with fans at the barricade, making them go even crazier.
With the show being halfway over, Corbyn took some time to express his love for the Big Apple and snapped a crowd photo. Settling down for a second, he brought out his guitar for an acoustic cover of “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish; right from the first line, the audience gasped and immediately started singing along. Staying on the guitar, he sang “Hypnotized” off of HEAD FIRST.
This was the first time he’s stepped back into the limelight since the end of Why Don’t We. That being said, it was definitely a bittersweet moment when he payed homage to his old group starting with a speech; he introduced the next song by saying it was one ”that completely changed my life, and is a big reason I think a lot of y’all are here today, and is probably the biggest reason I even get to stand on a stage in front of you guys.”
That led into “8 Letters,” the title track off the band’s debut studio album and a fan favorite. He kept the nostalgia trip going with “Fallin’,” the energetic lead single from their last album, The Good Times and The Bad Ones.
As the show came to a close, Corbyn performed his iHeart Radio Music Award-nominated song “Blink” before leaving the stage. After the crowd kept chanting his name, he came back out to wrap up with “Ruin Me,” ending the night on a perfect note.
Straight out of the gate, Corbyn put on a high-energy show that left fans wanting more. With the perfect combination of his solo music and some throwbacks, everyone is already waiting for his East Coast return. At long last, Corbyn Besson is back to the stage like he never left.
The second date of The (Head) First Shows is coming up tomorrow in Los Angeles. VIP is sold out, but there are still limited GA tickets left here.
Remaining (Head) First Shows:
3/28 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
