“Any Cowboys in Copenhagen tonight?” Jökull “JJ” Júlíusson asked the enthusiastic crowd at KALEO’s concert at K.B. Hallen in Copenhagen, Denmark, during their “Payback” tour. Last summer, the band took a hiatus from their European tour to focus on their mental and physical health. But now, it’s “payback” time.

KALEO wrapped up their American tour in October 2024, and we had the rare opportunity to see how the band was being received further along on their 2024-2025 world tour.  After a stellar show at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., in September, Icelandic alternative rock band KALEO came to play for their Nordic neighbor. K.B. Hallen is a very large venue, and I was almost worried that it would feel empty. But when the show began, it was filled to the brim with excited fans.  

The evening started with another fellow Icelandic singer, Júniús Meyvant. His set was very chill; it was a soft but effective way to open this show. Meyvant told stories about his songs and how they related to his life at the time that he wrote them. A few members of KALEO were onstage accompanying him, including the lead singer himself, Júlíusson, who joined him for a song.

Meyvant was blanketed in a warm orange light throughout the entirety of his set. As the Danes say, it was a very “hygge,” or cozy, way to start the show. But as soon as KALEO came on, the stage exploded with lights and color. The blinding lights created shapes patterns across the faces of the crowd and the high ceilings above. 

It’s obvious that KALEO has a lot of pride for their Icelandic roots, even though they live in and make their music in Austin, Texas,  now. Júlíusson played with a guitar with the Icelandic flag printed on it whenever they played an Icelandic song. 

There was an interesting dichotomy between the Danish-speaking crowd and the English- and Icelandic-speaking performers because even though Iceland is also a Nordic country, it’s a different language and it’s hard for them to understand each other. Therefore, they speak English because it is a language that is becoming more and more universal. After singing their song “Hey Gringo” Júlíusson ended it by saying “tusind tak,” which translates to “thousand thanks” in Danish. 

However, many people in the crowd could appreciate KALEO’s Icelandic songs because a lot of people actually came to the Copenhagen show from Iceland. It seemed as if more of the crowd sang along with their Icelandic songs than their English songs. At one point while I was photographing the show, I was standing behind two ladies who I think were the biggest KALEO fans in the crowd. They sang along to every word of the Icelandic songs, and knew almost all the words to the English songs as well.

Many of their fans were actually quite traditional in their concert-going. I saw quite a few band t-shirts, and I even spotted a fan holding up a real lighter rather than a phone flashlight when KALEO played one of their more mellow songs during their encore.

What was also an interesting dichotomy to me as an American covering a show in Denmark was how much KALEO’s music sounds very “cowboy,” country-alternative-grunge-rock-and-roll style because to me that music sounds like Americana, even though I know that they’re not even from America. But regardless, it was fun to hear that taste of home with an Icelandic twist while being thousands of miles away from home, and clearly the Danish audience was receptive to it as well. 

Júlíusson has such masterful control over his voice that it’s like butter. He can go from a low growl to an angelic falsetto — sometimes even in the same song. He’s just the type of singer to which you’d always enjoy listening. I love that KALEO has a wide variety of music that can showcase all the things he can do with his voice. 

I can also say that I’ve never seen a harmonica solo go so hard, and I may never see one like that again. Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson took a break from his guitar a few times to whip out the harmonica for a few songs. Truly a man of many talents, he is. The soulful harmonica really added to their whole “cowboy” aura. 

I used to think that KALEO was under-appreciated in the States, and while I can’t say for sure since I wasn't at any of their shows in the US, they definitely don’t disappoint in Scandinavia. Overall, KALEO brought a mix of cultures to Copenhagen last week. I’m forever grateful that I got to cover a show in Copenhagen; it’s an experience I’ll never forget.

We cannot wait to hear if there are any new songs emerging from this creative Austin-by-way-of-Iceland band in 2025.  Be sure to check out KALEO's tour page for upcoming shows on their world tour.  We cannot recommend enough that you get to see them perform anywhere on their 2024-2025 World Tour.