Arc de Soleil @ Royale 10/22
Photography by Trinity Beebe
Review by Anna Gohman
On Wednesday, Arc de Soleil performed at Royale, a popular Boston venue in the heart of the theatre district, for an unforgettable night of ethereal music and hypnotic effects. The brainchild of Swedish composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Kadawatha, Arc de Soleil operates in a musical world of its own—and it’s one that lucky concert-goers can’t seem to get enough of. Performing a combination of psychedelic funk-rock with groovy, reverb-heavy, powerful melodies, the band’s distinctive sound transcends the boundaries of just one category. The result of this genre-bending experimentation was a night filled with anticipation, excitement, and a hunger for more.
Opening for the night was sunflwr, who captivated an eager audience with his signature blend of dreamy, nostalgic house music amalgamation. As a recent 2020 up-and-coming artist making a name for himself within the lo-fi house scene, sunflwr certainly gained new fans this night. Playing some of his most popular songs, including “porco rosso” and “cul de sac club,” he had no trouble finding an immediate connection with the audience. The artist’s fresh, upbeat tracks perfectly curated an unbroken stream of sound that is distinctly sunflwr. And, although the opening performance was short, sunflwr used his time to the fullest, taking a random group of concert-goers and preparing them for an immersion into good music.
Not long after, Arc de Soleil took the stage, building on the excitement generated by sunflwr as he switched genres from house music to a psychedelic beat that transcends traditional music-listening experiences. He began with the song “Akhet,” an unreleased track that is being performed live on the band’s current 2025 North American tour. So early into the concert, and already receiving a unique listening experience with an unreleased song, the crowd, myself included, was instantly hooked. As “Akhet” intensified through long, melodic riffs and unexpected instrumental effects, so too did the excitement in the room. And as one song merged into the next, each sound building on the last, this excitement never wavered. The entire concert felt like one not-long-enough trip into a musician’s creative mind. For every minute of it, listeners were euphoric, filling the room with a shared, anxious anticipation for more.
Following up a sold-out tour in 2024, Arc de Soleil’s “La Mirage Tour” had a lot to live up to, and it did just that. Previously, the artist had only released singles and EPs, yet with just a relatively small repertoire, he amassed over 2 million monthly Spotify listeners and became a widely recognized name in the industry. Now, with his new debut album release as of June 2025 titled “Lumin Rain,” Arc de Soleil’s success is only increasing. The album is the product of a trip to Egypt and an interpretation of the relationship between ancient Egyptians and the deity Ra. This creative concept is fueling Arc de Soleil’s 2025 tour craze and easily filled the Royale venue with up to 2000 people on a Wednesday night.
Knowing what his audience came for, Arc de Soleil’s performance reflected the inspiration of “Lumin Rain,” immersing the audience in a foreign, Egyptian world. Sound effects of chimes, rattlesnake rattling, maracas, and bongos permeated each song, from faster tunes like “Sunchaser” to more laid-back ones like “Libertia.” When combined with stage effects, including trippy visuals like a projected red sun image and colorful lighting representative of sand and desert heat, Arc de Soleil transformed the concert into a truly one-of-a-kind psychedelic-like experience. And, in the center of it all was singer, guitarist, and ideator Daniel Kadawatha.
Draped in his signature fur coat and eccentric, eye-grabbing outfit, Kadawatha perfectly executed his album’s vision to musically represent what lies beyond the veil of ordinary life with the idea of divine, cosmic light flowing through everything. “Lumin Rain” was created to invite listeners to reflect inward and connect through the light that flows within us all. And that’s just what it did. Without ever really speaking directly to the audience, Arc de Soleil interacted through often purely instrumental music. His unique form of audience interaction was exactly what his fans came for, allowing them to focus solely on appreciating the music.
Closing out the night, Arc de Soleil played his two most popular songs, each with over 50 million Spotify streams, titled “Got Caught in Amsterdam” and “Mumbo Sugar.” Both songs featured lengthy, exhilarating, electric guitar riffs, enhanced by audience cheers and clapping along. By this point in the concert, the crowd was at peak excitement, dancing, packing closer to the stage, and chanting for “one more song.” And as the final notes of “Mumbo Sugar” faded out, they turned to leave only when the venue lights kicked on and the stage was cleared of instruments. Arc de Soleil sold tickets to a concert, yet within the venue, he curated an entire experience—one that I, like many others, wished would never end.
