Porter Robinson made his anticipated stop at Merriweather Post Pavilion for the 10th stop of his SMILE!:D World Tour, which will take him into Spring 2025. It was evident the night would make a significant impact on all who attended—by the end of the first song, people were already crying.

Despite its energetic sound, Porter’s new album SMILE!:D reveals a more vulnerable side to the artist as he sings about internet fame, fandom, artistry, and simply being alive. The show brought this to life as he performed in front of pink screens, flashing punchy lyrics and animations emulating nostalgic pre-social media internet culture.

Pixelated computer screens with chat room messages danced on screen alongside keyboard hearts <3. Questions like “Do you remember counting down the days til your birthday?” and “Do you remember the day you realized you were growing up?” rotated on screen to take the audience back to being a kid. Especially during his song “Russian Roulette,” where he sings, “I wanna see my mom one more time… I wanna play in the snow one more time… I wanna live, I don’t wanna die,” the show and album felt like a reflection of life and homage to being a human.

What really rounded this out was looking into the crowd. All the way from the back of the lawn to the front row barrier, fans were holding each other, crying, dancing uncontrollably, watching the stage with complete admiration in their eyes, and of course, smiling. Each song felt like it was at least one person’s reason for living. The love radiating from Porter and the love radiating from the crowd met in complete unison, and it was clear this connection was special.

This tour charts new territory for the artist who has been putting out music for well over a decade. It features a live band, and Porter himself played multiple guitars and a keyboard at different points throughout the night. Porter got his start in the EDM genre, and through the years, his sound has evolved to this most recent album that reaches into hyperpop. This was emulated in his show, which was split into three parts to represent each of his three albums. As the show progressed to the final act, his music evolution had been performed, and we were back to EDM from the 2010s.

Porter’s SMILE!:D World Tour continues its global run, bringing him to 20 countries across five continents. I wouldn’t miss the chance to see this incredible show. You’ll be filled with warmth, nostalgia, love, and plenty of dancing. Check out future Porter Robinson tickets and stream the album below.

the