Concert reflections from 2025: Three generations in performance
Live music reminds us what we’re aiming for. A great sound system can reveal the full depth of a performance—but the concert hall is where that performance begins. It’s where the emotion originates, where the connection is made.
This year, our CEO, Jörgen Olofsson, attended three standout concerts across Europe, each offering a different musical and emotional perspective. Here are his reflections: three artists, three generations, and three different ways to move an audience.
The rising generation
Marcus King, age 29 – Central Stage, Oslo, June 2025
“Marcus King is a young American singer and guitarist who I’ve been following for several years, and this time I went to Oslo to see him for the third time. I’ve seen him in three consecutive years—first in Copenhagen, then the following year in Berlin. It’s fascinating to follow such a gifted musician through his career, witnessing the evolution and maturation of his expression.
King has a steady band with whom he tours and records. A smart move, as it allows him to grow together with musicians who know him inside out and can support him, even improvising when King is in the mood. His voice is strong, a somewhat light and slightly husky rock/soul tone, always delivered effortlessly and in perfect pitch. His guitar playing is in a class of its own, easily comparable to the greats in blues, country, and rock. At just 29, King has a real future ahead, and I hope he continues to develop his songwriting and his expressiveness as both singer and guitarist.
At Oslo’s old cinema-turned-venue, Central Stage, which holds around 1,700 people, Marcus King and his band delivered a loud and powerful concert with lots of faster country‑tinged music. I can’t wait for the next chance to see Marcus King with his band again. Welcome back, Mr. King.”
The expressive generation
Hiromi, age 46 – Stora Teatern, Gothenburg, May 2025
“Hiromi Uehara is a Japanese pianist who has taken the jazz world by storm with her virtuosic and powerful playing since her recording debut in 2003.
We’ve used a few of Hiromi’s tracks as reference recordings when evaluating different components in a system for years, so with great anticipation I went to Gothenburg’s Stora Teatern—which seats about 600—to see her perform for the first time with her band Sonicwonder. And I was not disappointed. I experienced a playful and high‑class musical journey, both in complex ensemble work and impressive solo performances from the band and especially from Hiromi herself, all presented with a warm smile on her lips.
I believe Hiromi and Oscar Peterson share something special. It may seem strange—Peterson was a towering North American jazz icon; Hiromi is a petite pianist from Japan. Yet both are virtuosos on their instrument, and both always performed with a smile. They have a generous attitude toward music and the audience, one that truly infects and leaves me wanting more. I look forward with great interest to following Hiromi’s continued development.”
The timeless generation
Neil Young, age 79 – Waldbühne, Berlin, July 2025
“After releasing his 48th album, Neil Young embarked on a tour of Europe. I travelled to the spectacular Waldbühne—an open‑air amphitheatre with about 22,000 seats—in Berlin to see the soon‑to‑be‑80‑year‑old Young.
Of the three artists I mention here, Young undoubtedly had the strongest personal expression. He’s been doing his “thing” since the ’60s, and on that night, everything clicked. His performance, and the band’s, simply moved me. Suddenly, I found tears in my eyes, caught off guard by an emotional wave that crashed over me without warning. The music sometimes hits you straight in the heart and bypasses the intellect entirely, and, especially in the quieter acoustic songs, magic happened. Only the greatest personalities can evoke such feelings, and I understood then why Young has mesmerised audiences across decades.
I saw another fantastic show of his at a festival in Gothenburg around 2012, and even then—when he was only about 67—I wondered if he might be too old to deliver. What I got was one of the best concerts ever, if not the very best I’ve ever witnessed. Age was the last thing on my mind that night. He closed that show with an unexpected but stunning rendition of “A Day in the Life” from the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album.
This evening in Berlin concluded with a wild, powerful version of his own “Rockin’ in the Free World”—a grand finale to a two‑hour experience. And Young continued to feel relevant and urgent even at nearly 80. Maybe it’s even possible I’ll see him one more time before he retires?”
Presence beyond generations
What connects these artists isn’t genre, age or fame—it’s presence. That unmistakable sense of someone expressing something real, in the moment, with complete conviction. It’s what we look for in music, and what moves us, long after the concert ends.