Kurt Vile Brings Hazy, Philly Vibes to a Packed House at The Roxy: Review

Kurt Vile was good to Northeast Ohio on Tuesday night. 

The 46-year-old guitarist and singer-songwriter brought his “KV’s Been Good to Me” tour to a sold-out house at The Roxy at Mahall’s in Lakewood. Vile is on a mammoth tour, with a total of 79 dates in the U.S. and abroad, in support of his Philadelphia’s been good to me album. The album, Vile’s 10th, garnered loads of press, including profiles in The New Yorker and the New York Times.

First making a name for himself with a series of DIY at-home recordings, Vile broke out in the mid 2010s with albums like Smoke Rings for My Halo, Wakin on a Pretty Daze and B’lieve I’m Going Down. He also co-founded The War on Drugs with Adam Granduciel before departing to focus on his own music. These bonafides and more helped Vile pack The Roxy on June 24.  

While fans got performances of “Like Exploding Stones” and “Pretty Pimpin,” his most notable song, Vile’s set mostly lived in the present, with songs like the driving, acoustic “Rock o’ Stone” and the catchy “Zoom 97” stemming from his most recent record. “Chance to Bleed,” the best song on the new record, carried over well to a live performance, with its mantra-like chorus — with that old time, lo-fi, DIY, rock ’n' roll nights — serving as a mission statement and ode to a lifetime dedicated to playing music. 

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Vile can hum a tune, but his guitar playing is an equal draw. Over the groovy, ethereal bedding provided by his backing band, the Violators, Vile plays distinct, frenetic fingerpicked riffs and overdriven solos that are similar, more spiritually than sonically, to Willie Nelson’s off-time, personality-oozing bars. Despite the band’s capabilities, only once or twice did it really blast off into guitar hero jam mode, like on the 10-plus-minute “Wakin’ on a Pretty Day.” 

Pro Tip: If you haven’t been to The Roxy in Lakewood for a sold-out show yet, as I hadn't, I suggest staking out your spot about 20 minutes before the show — or risk ending up basically in the lobby. On Tuesday night, however, no matter where you were in the 800-person venue, the venue, which opened in 2023, delivered clear sound at a comfortable volume all night. 

Vile has openly modeled himself after his idols, especially Neil Young, in recent years. But at this point in his career, Vile has his own thing going on. The best artists don’t follow trends or idols as they age. They go deeper into themselves. Kurt Vile is more Kurt Vile than he’s ever been, and we’re all better for it.

Kurt Vile's "KV’s Been Good to Me” Tour

The Roxy, June 23, 2026 Setlist: 

• "Red Room Dub"

• "Zoom 97"

• "Hey Like a Child"

• "Rock o’ Stone"

• "99 BPM"

• "Blackberry Song"

• "Girl Called Alex"

• "Chance to Bleed"

• "Like Exploding Stones"

• "Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone)"

• "Pretty Pimpin"

• "Wakin on a Pretty Day"

Encore:

• "Bassackwards"

• "Avalanches of Snow"

• "Cool Water"

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