The night Dhaka Vibed in a half-empty auditorium

Dhaka's music scene has been under fire recently with cancelled concerts, rising security issues, and non-paying attendees stirring up concern. So when Dhaka Vibes was announced, I doubted whether they could create a safe environment for everyone. But the moment I stepped into the venue, I was delightfully proven wrong. 

The concert was held indoors with a seating arrangement, which earned the organisers extra points in my book. My young soul loves concerts, but my weak bones cannot handle the post-show aches well. It was great to have the option to groove to the music standing up or sit down and enjoy a more relaxed vibe.

The Dhaka Vibes concert was held on 8 November at Bangladesh Shishu Academy, organised by Relevent and Counters BD. The lineup of Kaaktaal, Karnival, Level Five, Firoze Jong, Rayhan Islam Shuvro, and Zero Friction was a sure-fire mix to have you singing your heart out.  

For the past month, 'Half Glass Carew' has been my go-to commute song, and I was all set to sing my heart out when Firoze Jong took the stage. To my surprise, however, I was instead captivated by the melodious voice of 'Shuvro' and the gripping lyrics of 'Kaaktaal.'

As a first-time listener of Shuvro, I was mesmerised by his voice and his renditions of 'Shonar Moyna Pakhi' and 'Majhe Majhe Tobo Dekha.' His originals, 'Dishehara Tui' and 'Ami Tomar Moto Noi,' surely won him new fans, even among those unfamiliar with his work. 

His voice has that rare quality that makes you think of an ex whose last name you probably don't even remember anymore.

When Kaaktaal took the stage, the crowd summoned all of its energy, ready to sing along. 

Kaaktaal's hold on the audience set them apart from the rest of the performers. They began with mellow tunes, gradually building up to songs that got everyone hyped. 

Each song they played transported the audience to somewhere unfamiliar. The vocalist, AiA Lemonsky, tied everything together with the power of his voice, allowing the audience to resonate with the lyrics.

After Kaaktaal came the performance I had been so eagerly waiting for. Firoze Jong finally took the stage and they were worth the wait. 

They opened with 'Aaste,' and you could tell that the musicians loved the music they played through the fervour they played with.

With a hyped-up crowd, a flawless sound system, and incredible performers, they delivered an unforgettable set. They played 'Ong Bong Chhong' and 'Beatles', and the crowd met the energy of the performers, not sparing a single song as they sang along. 

It seemed like the crowd was anticipating Half Glass Carew as eagerly as I was. The energy of the crowd was unmatched as we joined Firoze Jong in singing the closing song. It goes without saying, I was in high spirits.

However, the sound system that came through for Firoze Jong, faltered just as Zero Friction and Level Five took the stage. In turn, it made the two acts some of the less memorable sets of the night.

Zero Friction, as the opening act, did their best despite the challenges, while Level Five, a relatively well-known band, struggled with sound issues on stage that took considerable time to fix. Nonetheless, they ended their set on a strong note with 'Gholate Megh.'

Having said that, I felt relatively underwhelmed at the headliners' performance on the night. Whether that's because I always have sky high expectations from Karnival because they're usually so good on stage or if it's one relatively bad day at the office— I can't say for certain. Despite being the main attraction of the concert, their performance came through as lukewarm. 

That may be because during their opening tracks, the auditorium wasn't really filled to the brim—leading to somewhat of a sub par atmosphere. It felt oddly average, with people walking on and off the stage.

It almost seemed like they were going through the motions, but by the second and third songs, it started to feel a lot more energetic. With revered numbers such as Mohomukti and Bhrom on their setlist, a chunk of the crowd did return later on to sing along to Tinu Rashid's serenading vocals.

In an odd twist of fate, the audience will likely remember Dhaka Vibes for the energy Firoze Jong and Kaaktaal brought, instead of its headliner, Karnival.