Live Review: Anderson .Paak, Shantan Wantan Ichiban

"Did you come to party, or what?" Anderson .Paak asks right from the start. If you weren't in the Metro to party tonight, then why were you there?

The venue was jammed an hour before the set started. While a sign indicated "Support (TBC)", it turns out there was no support other than an early DJ set from Shantan Wantan Ichiban. Definitely a missed opportunity for some local artist to get some huge exposure.

Starting a set with Come Down was next-level. It was simply the best way to get a crowd pumped, and pumped they were as Anderson .Paak expertly traversed the stage, smiling bright and directing us to "bounce!". How could you refuse? Especially when he transitioned smoothly from his Kaytranada collab Glowed Up into R Kelly's Ignition.

The set was non-stop vibes. We waved our hands, we sang along, we smiled, we danced. It was seriously pulsing on the Metro's floor. You don't create vibes like this by yourself and The Free Nationals are a hugely impressive outfit in their own right. The keys player, DJ, guitarist and bassist delivered a backing that any artist would be frothing for. As if all of this wasn't enough, .Paak jumped behind the drum kit. As the crowd belted out, "Momma, can you carry me?", .Paak rapped and played the drums with completely different rhythms. Damn, this guy can do everything! He has the rhythm, melody, lyrics and voice. What more could you want? Oh, yeah, and he seemed like a genuinely nice bloke.

We got the Malibu hits: Heart Don't Stand A Chance, Am I Wrong, The Waters and Put Me Thru. Each track reinforced just how amazing that album is, but it would have been great to get some extras from his side-project with Knxwledge, NxWorries. But it's a small gripe from a show that provided so much joy.

We shared the love with our fellow concert-goers in Silicon Valley and The Bird. We screamed, "I think I luh you!" in Luh You and by this stage we were blissed-out on the .Paak juice that had been delivered. It was a pure, fun and hugely entertaining show. "I promise we'll be back soon with a bigger show!" .Paak declared.

There's no doubt many more would have wanted to see this show, but for us, the lucky ones, we left safe in the knowledge that he would never play a venue in Sydney as small as the Metro again.