Courtesy AEG / Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Rex Orange County performs during a concert Friday at the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Thursday, June 2, 2022 | 2 a.m.
Singer-songwriter Rex Orange County has yet to land a song in the Top 40 of the charts in either his native United Kingdom or the United States. But ask the throng of fans jammed into the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas for his concert Friday about it and their collective answer might be, “Who Cares?”
“Who Cares?” happens to be the fourth and latest album released by the 24-year-old artist whose rise to prominence included work on the Grammy-nominated 2017 album “Flower Boy” by American rapper Tyler, the Creator.
The singer, dressed in all white from head to toe and sporting a well-trimmed beard, was a joy to watch, dancing across the stage while singing some of his songs, sitting behind a keyboard for others and standing alone in front of a microphone when playing a guitar on others. His songs are easy to listen to, a fusion of multiple styles including bedroom pop, jazz, hip-hop and indie rock. His lyrics strike personal chords and are often autobiographical.
Rex Orange County setlist
1. “Making Time”
2. “Keep It Up”
3. “Amazing”
4. “One in a Million”
5. “Television / So Far So Good”
6. “10/10”
7. “7AM”
8. “The Shade”
9. “Loving You” (Minnie Riperton cover)
10. “4 Seasons”
11. “Untitled”
12. “Happiness”
13. “Always”
14. “Corduroy Dreams”
15. “Open a Window”
16. “If You Want It”
17. “Never Enough”
18. “Sunflower”
19. “Best Friend”
20. “Loving Is Easy”
21. “Who Cares?”
Encore: “Pluto Project”
An entertainer through and through, he engaged the audience the entirety of the 90-minute set.
“Anybody seen me before?” he asked, to a rollicking round of applause. “Nice to see you again.”
“Anybody not seen me before? Nice to meet you!”
Throughout the concert, he urged the crowd — largely teens and 20-somethings — to “turn it up, Vegas!” And turn it up they did, screaming, dancing and singing to most of the tunes.
On the tune, “Never Enough,” from his 2017 album “Apricot Princess,” he asked the audience to join in on a portion of the lyrics that repeat themselves over and again:
Don’t tell me you’re sorry
You’re just sorry for yourself
And though you may seem fine alone
Well, I could be the one to help
With every repetition, the band increased the tempo, producing even more energy.
The concert was heavy on his newest album, with nine songs from “Who Cares,” including the title track and crowd favorites “Open a Window” and “One in a Million.”
But he also drew on past work, including his debut hit, “Corduroy Dreams,” along with the well-received “Sunflower” and “Pluto Projector.”
None were top-of-the-chart hits, but who cares?
