A Sam-sational Kurt-ain call

While some Singaporeans were busy with the Hari Raya festivities yesterday, others gathered at the cozy Kallang Theatre yesterday evening to watch YouTube’s hottest music duo, Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider.

If you are not sure who these YouTubers are, here is a crash course.

Sam is known for his brilliant covers of songs by popular artists, such as Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift, and has more than 2.5 million subscribers on YouTube. Besides producing his own originals like ‘Story’, the 27-year-old also collaborates with other singer-songwriters on YouTube. He recently produced popular hit ‘Bring Me The Night’ with fellow YouTuber, Kina Grannis.

Kurt has the uncanny ability to turn everyday items into musical instruments. He is also known as one of the most creative music producers in YouTube. In a recent music video, he uses makeshift musical instruments from within a car, such as seatbelts and windows, as the entire background music alongside the singing.

As though the YouTube fans in Singapore weren’t already eagerly anticipating the duo’s performance, Tiffany Alvord – YouTube’s very own music sweetheart – was added to the line-up just a few days before the performance.

The American singer opened the show for Sam and Kurt, charming her way into our hearts with her beautiful covers of popular songs like ‘No’ by Meghan Trainor, and ‘Rude’ by MAGIC!.

The rising YouTube star was more than just a singer. She shared stories before every song, allowing the audience to understand how she felt about the covers she sang. Her sweet voice and captivating personality made it hard for us to bid her goodbye as she handed the stage over to Sam and Kurt.

Sam and Kurt promptly appeared on stage with a fiery rendition of Sam’s original song, ‘Wildfire’. The duo, who have been friends for over 15 years, rarely took breaks in between songs. They were constantly in high spirits, and the crowds often struggled to keep up. Some even leapt to their feet to dance along to the songs.

It was obvious that they instinctively knew what each other’s next move was going to be. Having performed together for more than 10 years, the chemistry between the two, who started their YouTube journey together, was undeniable.

The pair’s performance was both exciting and unpredictable, with unexpected tweaks and surprises in every song. For instance, during the cover of ‘Talk Dirty’ by Jason Derulo, Sam mischievously mentioned Singapore in the lyrics, resulting in hoots of applause and cheers across the theatre.

Although the theatre was mostly packed with their fans, the performance seemed to win everyone over, including yours truly. While performing one of their originals ‘Start Again’, Sam skipped over some words as he forgot the lyrics to the song.

He sheepishly exchanged glances with Kurt, who gave him an encouraging grin.

However, the Singaporean crowd was forgiving, as they cheered and sang along with him. The look of gratitude was written all over Sam’s face.

The pair then closed the show, which ran close to three hours, with snippets of different songs that their entire journey together, including a moving tribute to their dear friend, the late Christina Grimmie, with ‘Just A Dream’.

When Sam and Kurt left the stage, the audience started to chant for an encore. Lucky for us, they returned with a closing medley of songs, rousing the fans from their seats.

While I attended the concert feeling unsure about their music, I left unexpectedly as a fan. (I have been hooked on their YouTube channel since yesterday evening!)