Live review from 21st Anniversary Festival Day 2:
Sawyer Solo Flute Intro
1. Unstable
2. Down Low
3. Solid Gold
4. Stealing Chords
5. Didn’t Notice
6. Samsara
7. If I Ever (Anxiety)
8. Hurricanes
9. Million Dollars
10. Neo The One
When Sawyer Xie, aka “Mongkok Mozart”, opened Kowloon Cowboys’ set with a solo flute piece, it set the tone for a genre-blending, wildly original performance that debuted this “lofi supergroup” on The Underground’s stage. “Down Low” followed, with keyboardist Season swapping to guitar, adding a shimmering texture that elevated the groove as Sawyer rapped bars such as, “In a vegetative state, the educated ape…” – adventurous and colourful lyricism that marked him and fellow vocalist Michael Wong as compelling new talents on the Hong Kong scene. Together, they delved into notions of pride and loyalty, and pondered manhood and the spectrum of emotion that forming relationships brings.
The camaraderie was palpable, radiating out into the rapturous crowd which packed the room for the Cowboys’ appearance. “Didn’t Notice” was a sonic shift – a smooth, Frank Ocean-style ballad with soulful three-part harmonies that lingered.
“Samsara” introduced trumpet into the mix, with lines such as “If only you were told, there are a million roads, no matter where you go, it’s infinite – your soul.” The song felt like a jumbled jamboree – they describe themselves a “music collective” and it showed. There was a lot going on onstage, and the sense of synchronicity and coherence often slipped, but the charisma, wit and creativity the five exuded carried them through without things feeling too jarring.
“If I Ever (Anxiety)” featured Frank Ocean-esque falsetto harmonies from Sawyer and Michael. Kasa shared a touching moment with the crowd: “Kowloon Cowboys means a lot to me – without jamming with this crew I wouldn’t have been inspired to do my own thing.”
On “Hurricanes”, Michael rapped in English and Mandarin, while Kasa added Japanese verses, and the chorus – “teardrops turn to hurricanes” – hit with force. “Million Dollars” was the peak of the night. A gentle guitar intro led into a full-band vocal harmony and delivered a message of humility: “Remember to give more, remember to give back and be grateful for what you got.”
They closed with “Neo The One”, a swagger-filled finale that tied together the night’s themes of unity, gratitude and sonic exploration.
Blurring the lines between hip-hop, R&B, punk and jazz, each member brought something unique – instrumental wizardry, charisma, lyrical depth and grounding rhythms, leaving the crowd with a feeling that this is an outfit destined for much bigger things. Together, they create something bigger than the sum of their parts.
-El Jay
