LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: Thundercat in Boston, MA (10.30.25)
Last night, bass guitar hero Thundercat inspired a couple of thousand Bostonians to brave the spooky elements for a glimpse at his groovy prowess.
Upon entering the venue, I spotted something completely unexpected: a gigantic, glowing replica of “Cat Liar,” the title character from the original ThunderCats cartoon, come to life. It was surreal. As someone who grew up watching cartoons in that era, it felt like walking straight into a fever dream of childhood nostalgia and hyper-modern stage design.
With the house lights dimmed, red beams of light sliced through the mist hovering over the stage. Thundercat emerged donning a Dragon Ball Z durag and his trademark relaxed grin, the kind that makes it impossible not to smile back. Thundercat looked less like a rock star and more like one of us, a geek, a gamer, a dreamer with ridiculous musical talent.
Opening the set with “Children of the Baked Potato,” he quickly launched into a solo that felt like it might never end, five, maybe six minutes of pure virtuosity, equal parts chaos and control. His drummer, posted to the right of the stage, fed off the energy, pushing him harder with every snare hit.
Seven songs into the set, he ripped through “I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time.” Beginning like a slow exhale, tender and hazy, before morphing into a free-form jazz-funk spiral. His fingers blurred over the frets, twisting melody into rhythm, rhythm into something cosmic.
Throughout the set, Thundercat was endlessly warm, funny, and endearing, talking to the crowd in that soft, laughing voice of his. He kept mentioning how much he loves Boston, and loved a girl from Boston who once punched him and quipped, “Maybe that is Boston love.” At one point, a song ended with him shouting, “Love in Boston!” and the audience roared.
Visually, the stage was as striking as it was sparse: Thundercat in the center, his drummer on the right, and a keyboardist elevated on a riser behind them, half-hidden in fog. The setup made it hard to see everyone clearly, but the sound was pristine. Roadrunner’s acoustics handled the deep, resonant bass and swirling synths with surprising clarity.
Later in the night came the inevitable crowd eruption: the unmistakable opening of “Them Changes.” After a moment’s pause, that familiar groove dropped, and the venue lost its mind. The song’s slinky rhythm and melancholy lyrics hit with full force, bridging the gap between pop accessibility and instrumental madness. True to form, Thundercat stretched it into another sprawling solo, sending the melody spiraling into uncharted territory before snapping back for the chorus one final time.
Closing with “Friend Zone,” sharp and self-aware, before returning for a brief encore that dissolved into pure jam-session bliss. By the end, the three musicians were laughing, improvising, and feeding off the audience’s energy, as if no one wanted the night to end. When the lights finally came up, the crowd lingered in drenched coats waiting on chairs, hair still wet, hearts still buzzing. Outside, the rain was somehow even colder, the wind sharper. But after an hour and a half in Thundercat’s world, it didn’t matter. He had taken the storm, the chill, and the chaos, and turned it all into warmth, groove, and connection.
Photos – Thundercat at Roadrunner in Boston, MA on October 30th:
