“This is love,” Mikky Ekko (born John Sudduth) said to the crowd after asking them to applaud for the night’s acts. The Louisiana born indie pop artist had a roughly thirty-minute set at The Riviera Theatre.

Setting the tone for the night, the singer performed before jazz electronica vocalist Charlotte Cardin and pop star BØRNS.

Releasing his first EP to iTunes in 2009, Ekko has honed an alternative indie-pop sound since. Ekko gained momentum through the 2012 release of Rihanna’s “Unapologetic” album for the song “Stay” that he was featured on and co-wrote with Justin Parker—frequent writer for Lana Del Rey. He then picked up slight momentum in 2015 with the popular and very bubbly song “Smile” from Ekko’s debut album “Time.”

Mikky Ekko was not what I expected. He’s recently grown out his hair and paired with a thick beard he looks like a brand-new person. Wearing a chain necklace with a form-fitting black shirt and matching loose jogger pants he looked less hipster and more guido—in the Jersey Shore sense.

However, his sound was of the contrary. Similar to that of Lewis Del Mar or Jack Garratt, Ekko was nothing short of passionate.

His moving song “Pull Me Down” was performed a little over halfway through the set, and showcased his full presence in the show. “I want to be your man and I want to say it loud” Ekko sang full of heart and spirit.

The Riviera Theatre was jam-packed.  The two-story theatre was filled with a wide range of fans of all ages. Standing between couples and a large group of girls singing along to nearly every song, there was not much room for movement. Although standing in the furthest spot from the stage, it was still easy to see everything—until the group of girls started dancing frantically.

Continuing through the show, Ekko’s powerful sound was showcased with his pop drama tunes. His roughly 30-minute set included most of his most popular tracks, such as “Not the One,” a single released just this year.

“Love me or hate me I don’t give a f**k,” this statement was followed by cheers and applause. This transitioned the artist into closing his set with “Stay.” The crowd sang along for the entirety of the song.

After Ekko’s set, the crowd seemed restless until BØRNS came on stage.