Concert review: Incubus w/ Manchester Orchestra and Paris Jackson | 07.03.25, Chaifetz Arena (with photo gallery)

Photo of Brandon Boyd of Incubus by Michael O’Connor

The night before the Fourth of July, Chaifetz Arena welcomed an outstanding lineup: Paris Jackson, Manchester Orchestra, and Incubus. As Paris Jackson (daughter of the late Michael Jackson) stepped onto the stage, quickly became clear this event would be unique. Her set radiated warmth and soulful expression, and her vocals were so smooth they cast a quiet glow across the crowd. Her presence alone felt special, something more intimate and deeply resonant pulsed through her lyrics. Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger came out during her third track, a duo that was truly inspirational to see perform live.

Manchester Orchestra followed with a performance that could have unraveled, yet did the opposite… Lead singer Andy Hull’s guitar strap snapped and broke during the opening track. The solution came quickly and unapologetically stuck to the roots of rock ‘n’ roll: pink duct tape. The highlight of their set came when playing “The Silence,” when blue and orange lights bathed the stage in a smoky reverence. Before the chorus, their drummer Tim Very performed a booming drum solo, crescendoing and building into waves of guitars and powerful vocals. After their final notes, Hull hung his broken guitar on the mic stand, only for it to tumble to the floor, an imperfect and poetic ending to their set that felt just right.

Lasers cut through the darkness like brushstrokes for Incubus’ set. With the stage presence only utilized by the most experienced of musicians, lead singer Brandon Boyd moved as if pulled by the rhythm itself – his connection to the music felt purely instinctive and natural. Their track “Have You Ever” transformed the night into a spectacle of light—complimented by the lighting crew’s artistry—earning a standing ovation afterwards. When “Are You In” played, the audience sang every note, with blue lasers and pink flares scattering throughout the arena. Their rocked-up rendition of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” as an intro to their own “Under My Umbrella” gave the night another unforgettable twist. After playing their 2001 album Morning View in its entirety, Incubus ended the night with a shorter set of other hits that culminated with three tracks from their breakthrough LP Make Yourself in “Stellar,” “Pardon Me,” and the track that won them a 2001 Billboard Music Award for Modern Rock Track of the Year: “Drive” is a track about fear-based-decision-making, and according to Boyd, “about imagining what life would be like if you didn’t live it that way”, That ethos echoed through their performance, confident and courageous. Playing to a crowd of ten thousand takes a kind of emotional clarity, and Incubus delivered with power and precision, completely rewriting expectations. | Michael O’Connor