Live Shows: Rostam
Los Ángeles, CA - The Ford in Hollywood Hill - May 30, 2026
The Hollywood Hills are home to two historically picturesque concert venues that neighbor each other, The Ford and The Hollywood Bowl. Imagine having a picnic while watching the sunset, with your bluetooth speaker to set the mood. Except this time, the music is live. I can appreciate a fun mosh pit, but sometimes, I actually want to see the performance and not have to defend myself in order to do so. The Ford allows for exactly that. On the final Saturday of May 2026, Rostam, alongside Henry Solomon and Zsela, brought a night of peace to a classic Hollywood stage. This was the second stop of Rostam’s American Stories Tour, named after his newest album, released on the 15th of May.
To set the evening off was San Francisco’s jazzman Henry Solomon, who delivered smooth and relaxing sounds on his saxophone. In the first paragraph, I mentioned “picnic at sunset” music. Solomon’s set was this very thing, something nice to throw on while having a meal or a drink and watching the night settle in.
Once the moon arrived for its shift in the sky, next to take the stage was Brooklyn’s R&B/pop singer-songwriter Zsela, who did an exceptional job switching the tone of the room with dreamlike production and reverberating vocal layers. To complement her music, the lighting of her set remained red and had plenty of fog to create more visual ambience. It was almost like watching a music video. Set design matters almost as much as performance, and Zsela delivered on both. She didn’t do it alone, either. A friend of hers was brought onstage to play the synthesizer. Upon introducing him to the crowd, cheers from the Hollywood Bowl could be heard. The two joked that they were for them with some sarcastic “Thank yous.” To close out her performance, Zsela delivered an enchanting cover of Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses,” a rock & roll classic for all to sing along to, and an incredibly special track to my fellow skaters in the room. Rest in Peace, Marc Johnson. “Thank you, Q Lazzarus” said Zsela as she finished her performance and exited the stage to an audibly entertained crowd.
One of the main things I wonder about concerts is whether the performer(s) is/are nervous or if the confidence has built up over time and killed performance anxiety. Sure enough, DC pop/rock artist and former Vampire Weekend guitarist Rostam admitted to having a bit of stage jitters when he came out at The Ford, though settling into the groove of things (no pun intended) alongside his band helped ease his nerves. When an artist shows their fans their humanity, it helps build a connection deeper than simply “Yeah, I like their music.” He was backed by a remarkably talented group of guys. There was a pianist who also sat at the keys with an acoustic guitar, a drummer, a violinist, a synthesizer player, and another guy who alternated between banjo and electric guitar. The team worked together to put on a concert that felt like a movie, switching between a fun song and a more serious one. Attendees swayed side to side, sang along to every word, cheered in excitement at the beginning of each song, and held cellphone flashlights in the air. An atmosphere was created at The Ford that night that felt warm, like the credits of a romcom. It wasn’t one of those concerts you’d remember for how hard you screamed or danced; it was a show you’d remember for how it made you feel.
